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Stirling has conducted several proof of concept studies for R-salbutamol in livestock applications. R-salbutamol has demonstrated:
- Decreased fat
- Increased muscle production
- Improved feed efficiency (i.e. livestock eat less to increase carcass weight or quality)
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(i) Swine
Studies to date conducted by Stirling in the United States have demonstrated significant production gains with R-salbutamol. R-salbutamol produced a 21% improvement in feed efficiency, 17% increase in live carcass weight and a 17% reduction in fat content. These effects exceed the responses published in the literature for ractopamine (competitor to R-salbutamol in swine). Furthermore, unlike its competitor, no unwanted behavioural side effects were noted with R-salbutamol use.
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(ii) Poultry
Stirling has shown in two commercially important breeds of broiler chickens (Cobb & Ross), that R-salbutamol can produce an improvement in feed efficiency of up to 5%, an improvement in lean meat of 11% and a reduction of fat of up to 30%. These positive effects were achieved with levels approximately half of the dose of the racemic (mixed) control and resulted in residue levels that were up to 80% less at comparable dose levels.
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(iii) Sheep
Stirling's studies in sheep have shown that R-salbutamol produces a four-fold increase in weight gain and an improvement of 70% in feed efficiency when added to sheep feed over a finishing period of 35 days. Lean meat content improved by 18% and the lean meat to fat ration improved by 8%.
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(iv) Cattle
Initial data has demonstrated that R-salbutamol is extremely successful in increasing live weight gain, improving feeding efficiency (the amount of food consumed for each kilogram of weight added) and carcass quality in cattle. Weight gain can increase by more than 10% and feed conversion can improve by 14% after 30 days of feeding.
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(v) Fish
Stirling is currently conducting trials in Australia to determine the extent R-salbutamol can improve production efficiencies in commercially important farmed fish.
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