LEXINGTON, Ky. — A University of Pikeville team won the graduate competition at the 2015 Alltech Innovation Competition with Rhizofeed, their herbal extraction company based in Pikeville. Using bloodroot harvested in Eastern Kentucky, Rhizofeed extracts whole rhizome for use in poultry feed to improve gut health.
Less expensive and more stable than probiotics, according to the team of two graduate and two undergraduate students, rhizome extract has anti-inflammatory properties and has been linked to improving the immune system, regulating digestion and promoting weight gain.
Rhizofeed aims to target poultry producers looking for alternatives to probiotics or antibiotics, a market expected. . .