Fike, 2001. Seaweed extract and antioxidant activity in grass and animals

[Guest guest]

Dr Venturi sent us this article by Fike on the antioxidant effects of a seaweed extract applied to turfgrasses.

The Iodine Group has had several discussions on the possibility of using seaweed to remineralize the soils and thus the plants and animals. This article did not seem to find an increase in minerals in the plants after application of the seaweed extract -- including iodine, even though the extract had high amounts of iodine. I don't know why. The antioxidants/nutrients mentioned include superoxide dismutase (SOD), Vitamin E, Vitamin A, and selenium.

Zoe

Tasco-Forage: I. Influence of a seaweed extract on antioxidant activity in tall fescue and in ruminants.

Fike JH, VG, Schmidt RE, Zhang X, Fontenot JP, Bagley CP, Ivy RL, RR, Coelho RW, Wester DB.J Anim Sci. 2001 Apr;79(4):1011-21.

"Seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) is a known source of plant growth regulators, and application to turfgrasses has increased activity of the antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD) and specific vitamin precursors. Increased antioxidant activity in both plants and animals diminishes oxidative stress. Two pasture experiments investigated effects of Tasco-Forage (a proprietary seaweed-based product) applied to tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) on antioxidant activity in plants and in ruminants that grazed the forage. In Exp. 1, fescue was 70 to 100% infected with the endophyte fungus Neotyphodium coenophialum ([- and Gams] Glenn, Bacon, and Hanlin). Twenty-four wether lambs (initial BW 41 kg; SD = 5) grazed fescue treated with 0, 1.7, or 3.4 kg Tasco/ha applied in April and July, 1994, with four replications per treatment. Grazing occurred for 26 d beginning April 21 and for 22 d beginning July 19. In July, there was a linear increase in daily gains (P < 0.05), and serum vitamin A (P < 0.13) and whole-blood Se (P < 0.10) tended to increase in lambs grazing Tasco-treated fescue. In Exp. 2,48 Angus and Angus x Hereford steers (initial BW 245 kg; SD = 20) grazed infected or uninfected tall fescue in Virginia that was treated (3.4 kg/ ha) or untreated with Tasco in April and July, 1995. Steers that grazed infected tall fescue had lower (P < 0.02) serum vitamin A and E and tended (P < 0.07) to have lower whole-blood Se in September compared with steers that grazed uninfected tall fescue. Tasco decreased (P < 0.06) serum vitamin E but tended to increase whole-blood Se (P < 0.10) in September and serum vitamin A in July (P < 0.12). During 1996 and 1997, the experiment was repeated in Virginia with Angus steers and was replicated at Prairie, MS, where 1/4 Brahman x 3/4 Angus steers were used. Forty-eight steers were included at each location in each year (n = 192 total steers for 1996 and 1997). Steers that grazed infected tall fescue in Mississippi had lower (P < 0.05) serum vitamin E by the end of the grazing season. At both locations Tasco increased (P < 0.05) activity of superoxide dismutase in both infected and uninfected fescue. The endophyte in tall fescue seemed to decrease antioxidant activity in grazing steers, whereas Tasco seemed to increase antioxidant activity in both the forage and the grazing ruminant. Tasco may provide opportunities to reduce oxidative stress in plants and animals."

http://iodine4health.com/special/seaweed/fike_seaweed.htm

"Tall fescue, one of the most important forages for livestock production, is often infected with the endophyte fungus Neotyphodium coenophialum."

"Removal of the endophyte from fescue resolves the animal health problems but leaves the plant more vulnerable to biotic and abiotic stresses."

"Seaweeds have been used as soil amendments and in animal feeds for many years, but historically much of the information has been anecdotal."

"Seaweeds are known sources of natural plant growth regulators, including cytokinins, auxins, and gibberellins. Vitamins and vitamin precursors contained in seaweeds include alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, niacin, thiamin, and ascorbic acid. Seaweed is also known to contain a wide range of minerals, but mineral content has not explained changes in mineral concentrations of plants treated with seaweed."

"If effects of Tasco on mineral composition of tall fescue occur, they were not measurable under the field conditions of these experiments."

"The primary effect of Tasco application to tall fescue in our experiments seemed to be through antioxidant activity in both plants and animals."

"Superoxide dismutase activity in forage was increased by application of Tasco to both infected and uninfected tall fescue.... The effect was both rapid and long-lasting.... Superoxide dismutase is the most efficient scavenger of toxic superoxide anions and is essential to the ascorbate-glutathione cycle."

"The presence of the endophyte Heotyphodium coenophialum in tall fescue, although it improves stress tolerance in the plant, often causes reduced performance and other negative effects on grazing livestock. One effect of fescue toxicity may be lowered vitamin E status in the grazing animal. Tasco-Forage, a seaweed-based product, may be a tool in ameliorating some of the deleterious effects of the endophyte in tall fescue on grazing cattle and sheep through increased antioxidant function. Forage application of Tasco may increase the antioxidant activity in tall fescue and in the wether lambs and steers that graze the treated fescue."