6 September 2022

2 minute read

By: Jake Jeong, Ph. D.

One of the significant impacts of climate change is the rapidly increasing surface temperature due to global warming. In 2021, the average global surface temperature was recorded at 14.7℃, showing a 0.13% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2000 (Figure 1). Compared to the CAGR of average global surface temperature from 1980 to 2000, the temperature growth rate remained at 0.05%, indicating a very sharp increase in the recent 20 years. Taking this into account, food-producing animals are facing a higher risk of encountering heat stress, which could in turn, negatively impact the productivity of the animals. Therefore, the application of a proper solution is pivotal to maintaining the productivity of animals.

The all-in-one anti-stress solution, ThermoRex, provided by Pathway Intermediates might support food-producing animals to overcome heat stress. Under heat stress, animals suffer from compromised immune systems and digestibility resulting in lower productivity. ThermoRex contains three novel active ingredients that provide an all-in-one solution to heat stress. Interestingly, one direct impact of ThermoRex is coming from the endothermic reaction which reduces the elevated body temperature of animals. Moreover, ThermoRex provides an adequate immune system and improves digestibility to alleviate the negative impact of heat stress.

A recent study, conducted during summer, showed a positive impact of ThermoRex in growing-finishing pigs (Figure 2). A total of 144 growing pigs (21.32 ± 1.45 kg BW) were randomly allotted to three dietary treatments (0, 500, and 1,000 g/ton of ThermoRex supplementation) in a randomized complete block design. Each treatment had eight replicate pens and six pigs per pen. Pigs had free access to feed and water throughout the 16 weeks of the experiment.

Overall, ThermoRex supplementation showed a linear effect on ADG and FCR with increasing dosage levels (P<0.05). As a result, pigs that had 1,000 g/ton ThermoRex supplemented diet showed improved ADG (P<0.01) and FCR (P<0.10) compared to the control. These results indicated that supplementation of ThermoRex has a positive impact on growth performance in growing-finishing pigs under heat stress.