A complex plant alkaloid extracted from the humble daffodil has been demonstrating some extraordinary curative properties in humans. Now with the help of a $4 million investment and a collaborative research project with Lincoln University in New Zealand, the same compound is being investigated as a feed additive to reduce methane emissions from livestock.
The appearance of daffodils traditionally ushers in the start of Spring along with warmer and sunny weather. But a plant extract from daffodils called galanthamine has been garnering interest within the medical community, through providing a sunnier outlook for Alzheimers patients. Galanthamine is a selective, reversible, and competitive acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor used in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease. AChE inhibitors are chemicals whose primary effect is to block the breakdown of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine.
Originally used as a herbal remedy, galanthamine was the first commercial application of an extract from the Amaryllidaceae plant family. The product has been available in the European Union and the United States since 2001. But wait there’s more! It turns out that galanthamine has many other applications including cancer suppression and possibly the reduction of methane emissions from farm animals. Methane is one of the most damaging of greenhouse gases with methane reduction being a key pillar in the net zero goals of agricultural nations. As a result, there are a growing number of exciting new ventures working on methane reduction.
Wales based biopharma company Agroceutical Products has partnered with AgriZero NZ and Lincoln University in New Zealand to look at the problem. The group has a field study commencing in 2025 aimed at quantifying the methane reduction from animals taking galanthamine as a feed supplement. If all goes well the product could be supplied to New Zealand farmers in the near future. Daffodils also grow remarkably well in the New Zealand high country and can be grown alongside livestock to supply extract products to European markets in the off season.
Image credit: Imagen 3
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