Proteins from wool can be added to the diets of animals to improve their health, AgResearch scientists have shown.
Researchers say the positive findings in the diets of domestic cats open up exciting possibilities for new uses of sheep wool to improve digestive health for a broader range of animals, and potentially human beings.
The findings have just been published in the Royal Society of Chemistry's Food & Function journal, and are available here.
"There is a lot of work going on to discover new uses of wool to support the sheep industry in New Zealand," said Dr Jolon Dyer, AgResearch's Science Group Leader for Food and Bio-based Products.
"The research is telling us that sheep wool has many useful attributes, and one of those now appears to be proteins derived from the wool that could be used as a dietary supplement to improve digestion and nutrition, and therefore overall health."