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]

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