Traditional strategies for heat stress management often rely on physical cooling methods such as fans, misters, and shade structures. While these are important, they do not fully address the underlying biological disruptions caused by heat stress. This creates a critical opportunity for targeted nutritional interventions that support gut health, reduce inflammation, and promote efficient thermoregulation from within.
R&D Director
Nuqo Feed Additives
As global temperatures continue to rise, heat stress increasingly threatens the health, welfare, and productivity of dairy cows worldwide. Dairy farmers face significant economic losses during hot periods, as elevated temperatures disrupt normal physiological functions of cows, reducing feed intake, milk yield, and fertility. The need for innovative, practical, and effective nutritional solutions to combat heat stress has never been greater. Nuqo RED, a pioneering feed additive based on microencapsulated hybrid capsaicin, offers a scientifically proven strategy to mitigate heat stress effects and maintain animal performance. This article explores the challenges of heat stress in dairy production, the cutting-edge technology behind Nuqo RED, and results from a large-scale trial conducted under severe heat conditions in Mexico.
HEAT STRESS: A GROWING CHALLENGE FOR DAIRY COWS AND FARMERS
Heat stress occurs when cows experience environmental temperatures and humidity levels that exceed their thermoregulatory capacity, creating physiological distress. Unlike other species, dairy cows are particularly vulnerable due to their high metabolic heat production related to milk synthesis. Heat stress triggers a cascade of physiological responses including elevated respiration rate, altered blood flow, hormonal imbalances, and activation of systemic inflammatory pathways.
One of the most immediate consequences of heat stress is a marked reduction in dry matter intake (DMI). When cows eat less, the supply of energy and nutrients required for milk production drops. This leads directly to reduced milk yield and poorer body condition. Moreover, heat stress impairs reproductive performance by disrupting estrous cycles and lowering conception rates, further impacting farm profitability.
From a metabolic perspective, heat stress increases inflammatory mediators, which damage the gut lining and reduce nutrient absorption efficiency. This inflammation also heightens oxidative stress, exacerbating tissue damage and further compromising health. Taken together, these effects translate into decreased productivity, higher veterinary costs, and increased culling rates.
Traditional strategies for heat stress management often rely on physical cooling methods such as fans, misters, and shade structures. While these are important, they do not fully address the underlying biological disruptions caused by heat stress. This creates a critical opportunity for targeted nutritional interventions that support gut health, reduce inflammation, and promote efficient thermoregulation from within.
A PRECISION TECHNOLOGY HARNESSING HYBRID CAPSAICIN
Nuqo RED represents a breakthrough in feed additive technology specifically designed to combat heat stress. Its key active components are hybrid capsaicinoids – naturally occurring compounds derived from chili peppers, with capsaicin being the most studied molecule. Capsaicin is known for its potent anti-inflammatory and thermoregulatory effects mediated through the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptors. These receptors are sensory proteins distributed along the gastrointestinal tract, detecting noxious stimuli such as heat and acidity. Activation of TRPV1 triggers responses that help the animal regulate internal temperature and reduce inflammation, both critical during heat stress episodes.
Despite its clear biological benefits, capsaicin’s use in animal nutrition has been limited by its high irritancy and instability. Raw capsaicin is pungent and can cause mucosal irritation in the mouth and digestive tract of animals. It is also volatile and prone to degradation in the rumen environment, reducing its efficacy.
To overcome these challenges, Nuqo developed a proprietary microencapsulation technology that protects the hybrid capsaicinoids in a fat-based coating. Nuqo RED is developed and produced following Nuqo’s proprietary XPR (eXtra Protection & Release) approach, a technology platform designed to ensure that active compounds are protected during feed processing, and released in a timely, site-specific manner within the gastrointestinal tract. This technology enables Nuqo RED to deliver its effects at low inclusion rates, making it a highly efficient and targeted solution compared to conventional alternatives. This encapsulation also masks the irritant properties of capsaicin, making Nuqo RED safe and practical for use by feed manufacturers and farmers. Finally, it stabilizes the active molecules through feed processing and passage in the rumen, ensuring enhanced bypass properties.
Most importantly, this microencapsulation enables targeted release of capsaicin in the lower gut, that is most damaged during the heat stress period. Therefore, delivering the molecule precisely where it can exert its effects maximizes bioavailability and therapeutic action. This controlled release profile is unique to Nuqo RED and distinguishes it from other capsaicin products.
To summarize in few words, while capsaicin is a molecule of high interest in animal nutrition, it requires great care in terms of irritation control and precise release in the gastrointestinal tract. Nuqo RED has become extremely popular in recent years because, thanks to its advanced microencapsulation technology and hybrid formulation, it represents the safest option for handling capsaicin. Furthermore, it has consistently demonstrated superior rumen bypass properties, ensuring targeted release and on-spot action in the intestine of animals.
HOW TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS COWS UNDER HEAT STRESS
The core mechanism through which Nuqo RED mitigates heat stress lies in modulation of the TRPV1 receptors. When capsaicin binds to these receptors, it initially activates them, which can trigger a mild sensation of heat or irritation. However, with controlled, sustained delivery as provided by Nuqo’s technology, these receptors become desensitized.
This desensitization reduces the inflammatory signaling cascade triggered by heat stress, leading to lower gut inflammation and improved intestinal integrity. Enhanced gut health allows for better nutrient absorption and feed efficiency even under challenging environmental conditions.
Moreover, TRPV1 desensitization supports improved thermoregulation. Capsaicin influences peripheral blood flow and sweating mechanisms, aiding heat dissipation and helping cows maintain more stable internal temperatures. Prolonged exposure to low doses of capsaicin preconditions the animals, increasing their resilience to future heat waves and improving their ability to cope with heat stress.
Collectively, these effects result in improved feed intake, sustained milk production, and better reproductive outcomes despite exposure to high heat and humidity. Its controlled-release microencapsulation ensures that these biological responses occur at the right site in the digestive tract and at effective dosage levels.
FIELD TRIAL IN EXTREME HEAT CONDITIONS
Building on a growing body of research and numerous successful trials demonstrating Nuqo RED’s efficacy in improving heat stress resilience, a comprehensive one-year trial was conducted in 2024 on a large commercial dairy farm in Torreón, Mexico—a region characterized by extreme summer temperatures frequently reaching above 40°C, with high temperature-humidity index (THI) values indicating severe heat stress.
Two barns with more than 1000 cows each were monitored: Barn 1 served as the control group with no supplement, and Barn 2 received Nuqo RED supplementation during the hot season at doses ranging from 1 to 1.5 grams per head per day.
The diet consisted of typical regional feedstuffs, including corn and sorgo silage, alfalfa, and concentrate, formulated to meet protein requirements for high-producing cows. Environmental data confirmed that the animals were exposed to severe heat stress for several months, with THI values consistently above 82.
• Dry Matter Intake (DMI): While both groups started with similar DMI in winter (around 25 kg/day), DMI dropped significantly in the control group during the hot months, stabilizing near 22 kg/day. In contrast, cows supplemented with Nuqo RED maintained higher DMI levels, close to 25 kg/day, preserving nutrient intake during heat stress.
• Milk Production: The control group showed a marked reduction in milk yield during the hot period, losing approximately 4.5 kg per cow per day. The Nuqo RED group maintained milk production at around 41 kg per cow per day throughout the summer, showing a clear mitigation of the negative effects of heat.
• Reproductive Performance: Fertility was also supported by Nuqo RED. While conception rates after the first artificial insemination fell to between 10-20% in the control barn during the hot season, the supplemented group maintained a conception rate near 35%. Better body condition scores in the Nuqo RED group further supported improved fertility outcomes.
These results highlight Nuqo RED’s ability to preserve intake, productivity, and reproductive health during periods of severe heat stress – key indicators of overall herd resilience and farm profitability.
CONCLUSION
The 2024 trial clearly demonstrates that Nuqo RED’s microencapsulated hybrid capsaicin technology effectively mitigates the detrimental impacts of heat stress in dairy cows. By maintaining dry matter intake, sustaining milk yield, and supporting fertility, it contributes to stable production and improved animal welfare during extreme environmental conditions.
Its unique formulation – combining potent bioactivity with safe, controlled release – makes this solution not only highly effective but also practical and easy to integrate into existing feeding programs. Given its concentrated nature and demonstrated efficacy, this technology should be considered a cornerstone additive in any heat stress management “toolkit” or nutritional pack. Farmers and nutritionists seeking to protect herd performance and maximize return on investment will find Nuqo RED to be a smart, science-backed choice. As climate challenges intensify, innovative solutions like this will be key to sustaining dairy production in hotter, more stressful conditions worldwide.
About Dr. Stephanie Ladirat
Currently working as Nuqo’s Technology Director, Dr. Stephanie Ladirat obtained her MSc degree in Food Technology with a specialization in Food Ingredient and Functionality and her PhD degree in Food Chemistry from Wageningen University (The Netherlands). During her PhD thesis, she studied in depth the human gut microbiota composition and its modulation upon prebiotic supplementation and/or antibiotic treatments. From 2014 till 2020, she worked at Cargill Animal Nutrition, first as technology lead for gut health additives and, then, as swine portfolio manager. She provided global technical product support for a broad range of products (phytogenics, organic acids, short and medium chain fatty acids, probiotics) and trained technical and sales teams. She most recently managed R&D projects and developed innovative feed additive solutions to answer specific customer needs related to animal gut health and performance.
