September 27, 2006

Chinese biologists discovers herbal recipe to help dairies fight the heat

China's biologists believe they have found an herbal receipe that would help milk cows in Shanghai weather the summer heat and boost their milk production by 20 percent, according to Chinese media.

The herbal receipe, which included herbs such as mint, ageratum and fragrant thoroughwort, were added to the regular feed of 60 Holsteins at a Shanghai-based farm.

Through the experiment, the receipe has proven itself effective and free from adverse side effects, said Hua Xiuguo, vice dean of agricultural and biological school of the Shanghai Jiaotong University.

The herbs boost appetite and immunity to heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke, anemia, high blood pressure and depression, according to Hua.

Heat-related illnesses are believed to cost US$ 3.15 million in lost output every year, according to the Shanghai Milk Cow Research Center.

Hua's team has applied for a patent for the recipe and would continue their experiments in other cities while exploring opportunities to put it into large-scale production.