From:  Review of hemp components as functional feed and food ingredients: impact on animal product quality traits and nutritional value

Dietary hemp components and their effect on produced product quality characteristics

Animal categoryHemp componentSpecies and productSupplementation level and durationEffectReference
Monogastric animalsHemp seed cakeBroilers; meat5% and 10%

  • Improved lipid stability in breast muscle;

  • Increased long-chain n-3 fatty acids;

  • Reduced n-6/n-3 ratio in breast and thigh muscle.

[51]
Hemp oil & HempOmegaBroilers; meat3% and 6% (21 days)

  • Increased n-3 PUFA content (ALA, EPA, DPA, DHA);

  • Decreased MUFA content.

[52]
Hemp seed expellersBroilers; meat50 and 150 g/kg of feed

  • Improved colour and odour in breast muscle with 150 g/kg feed treatment;

  • Improved colour in the thigh muscle.

[53]
Hemp seed alone or in combination with dills seedsCockerels; meatVarying dietary doses of hemp seed (HS) alone or combined with dill seed (DS) as a percentage of the basal diet (BD): BD + 0.2% HS; BD + 0.2% HS + 0.3% DS; BD + 0.3% HS; BD + 0.3% HS + 0.3% DS

  • Enhanced lipid profile;

  • Improved oxidative stability;

  • Better sensory attributes in both fresh and refrigerated meat (15 and 30 days).

[54]
Hemp seed in combination with extruded flax seedCockerels; meatCombination of 40 g/kg hemp seed and 60 g/kg extruded flax seed (35 days)Lower n-6/n-3 ratio.[55]
Hemp seedQuail; meat5%, 10%, and 20% (5 weeks)

  • Higher meat redness;

  • Lower cooking loss.

[56]
Hemp oil & HempOmegaLaying hens; eggs4% and 8% (6 weeks)

  • Increased n-3 PUFA content (ALA, EPA, DPA, DHA);

  • Decreased MUFA content.

[52]
Hemp seed alone or in combination with ginger and turmericLaying hens; eggs25% hemp seed alone or 25% hemp seed and 2% ginger or turmeric (5 weeks)

  • Higher n-3 PUFA and n-6/n-3 ratio;

  • Lower SFA in yolks stored at room temperature for 30 days.

[57]
Hemp seed cakeLaying hens; eggs10%, 20%, and 30% (19 weeks)Increased levels of PUFA.[58]
Hemp seedLaying Japanese quail; eggs5%, 10%, and 20% (8 weeks)Linear increase in egg n-3 fatty acids with increasing dietary hemp seed content.[59]
Hemp seed cakeLaying Estonian quail; eggs10% of basal feed (5 weeks)

  • Higher n-3 PUFA content in yolk;

  • No effect on yolk cholesterol or AI.

[60]
Hemp seedLaying Japanese quail; eggs5%, 10%, and 20% (6 weeks)Linear increase in egg n-3 fatty acids with increasing dietary hemp seed content[56]
Hemp oilPig; meatFat source in the dietHigher content of ALA (C18:3 n-3).[61]
RuminantsHemp seed cakeCull dairy cows; meat11% DM for animals on a hay-based diet; 19% DM for animals on a corn silage-based diet; 9% DM for animals on a pasture-based diet; (4 months)No improvement in the content of unsaturated fatty acids.[62]
Hemp cakeVeal calves; meat3% of basal diet concentrate (171 days)Increased cooking loss and lower tenderness in meat.[63]
Hemp seed mealGoat; meat10%, 20%, or 30% as fed (60 days)

  • Fluctuations in surface colour and tenderness;

  • Varying dietary levels of hemp seed meal inclusion affect these attributes;

  • Optimal inclusion level: 10%.

[64]
Hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD)Goat; meat0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mL/30 kg body weight, (90 days)

  • Improved colour redness and stability: achieved with CBD supplementation at 0.2–0.3 mL;

  • Lower fat content: noted with a 0.3 mL CBD dosage;

  • Enhanced tenderness and textural properties: softer meat texture.

[65]
Hemp seedGrowing meat goat; meat10%, 20%, or 30% as fed; hemp replaced ingredients of the basal concentrate diet; (60 days)No adverse effect on meat proximate composition.[66]
Spent hemp biomassFinishing lambs; meat10% or 20% (4 weeks intervention period and 4 weeks withdrawal period) & 10% or 20% (8 weeks) in replacement of alfalfaIncrease in shrink loss and cook loss observed in meat from animals fed spent hemp biomass for 8 weeks.[40]
Hemp seed cakeFinishing goats; meat25, 50, 75, or 100 g/kg DM of hemp to substitute soybean meal

  • Lower content of SFA;

  • Improved content of n-3 PUFA and CLA;

  • Lower AI and TI indices;

  • Higher protein oxidation stability.

[67]
Spent hemp biomassLactating dairy cows; milkBasal total mixed ration (TMR) diet plus 13% pelleted hemp (4 weeks intervention period and 4 weeks withdrawal period)

  • No adverse effect on milk proximate composition;

  • Tendency for a lower fat content.

[68]
Hemp seed & Hemp seed cakeDairy ewes; milk180 g/day for hemp seed; 480 g/day for hemp seed cake; hemp components replaced ingredients of the basal concentrate diet (10 weeks)

  • Increased PUFA and CLA content;

  • Reduced AI, TI, and n-6/n-3 fatty acids ratio, and increased h/H ratio;

  • Better antioxidant capacity and oxidative stability.

[69]
Hemp seedDairy ewes; milkEwes fed on concentrates indoors or part-time grazing and supplemented with 175 g/day; (10 weeks)

  • Increased PUFA content (especially n-3 and CLA);

  • Reduced AI, TI, and n-6/n-3 fatty acids ratio, and increased h/H ratio in milk fat;

  • Better results achieved with a combination of part-time grazing and hemp supplementation.

[72]
Hemp seedDairy goats; milkHemp seed supplement (9% DM intake) in animals fed either on hay or on mixed shrubs-grass rangeland; (10 weeks)

  • Increased PUFA content (especially n-3 and CLA);

  • Reduced AI, TI, and n-6/n-3 fatty acids ratio, and increased h/H ratio;

  • Better results in the combination of hemp supplementation and mixed shrubs-grass.

[73]
Hemp seedDairy goats; milk9.4% on DM intake (40 days)

  • Higher MUFA and n-3 PUFA content;

  • Lower n-6/n-3 ratio.

[74]
Hemp seedsDairy goats; milk9.3% on DM intake supplementing corn silage and soyabean meal (30 days)

  • Reduced SFA;

  • Increased ΜUFA.

[75]
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PUFA: polyunsaturated fatty acids; ALA: alpha-linolenic acid; EPA: eicosapentaenoic acid; DHA: docosahexaenoic acid; DPA: docosapentaenoic acid; MUFA: monounsaturated fatty acids; DM: dry matter; SFA: saturated fatty acids; CLA: conjugated linoleic acid; AI: atherogenicity index; TI: thrombogenicity index; h/H: hypocholesterolemic/Hypercholesterolemic