Context
Road transportation of farm animals is an unavoidable activity in animal husbandry, which may lead to the stress. Metabolic modifiers, such as minerals, may be an effective strategy to improve the performance and immune system of animals.
Aims
The present study examined the effects of chromium-methionine (Cr-Met) and zinc-methionine (Zn-Met) supplementation on animal performance and response to transportation stress.
Methods
Eighteen lambs (18–20 weeks of age) were randomly assigned to the following three dietary treatments for 10 weeks: (1) basal diet (control, 0.021 g/kg Zn and 0.0001 g/kg Cr); (2) basal diet with addition of 10 Cr-Met mg/kg DM (containing 1 mg/kg Cr); and (3) basal diet with addition of 500 Zn-Met mg/kg DM (containing 50 mg/kg Zn). After a 6-week supplementation period, the lambs were transported by road for 3 h.
Key results
Mineral supplements did not affect final bodyweight, average daily gain or feed conversion ratio. The blood cortisol and aspartate aminotransferase concentrations were increased (P < 0.05) immediately after transportation (AT1) in all groups; however, they were lower in supplemented lambs than in the control (P < 0.05). Animals fed Cr-Met or Zn-Met diets had a higher albumin concentration at AT1 than did the control group (P < 0.05). Lambs on the Zn-Met diet showed a higher blood triiodothyronine and triiodothyronine to thyroxin ratio at AT1 and at 24 h after transportation (AT2) than did lambs receiving the control diet (P < 0.05). Lambs fed the Cr-Met diet had a lower blood malondialdehyde at AT1 and AT2 than did the control lambs (P < 0.05). Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was higher in the Zn-Met-supplemented group than in other groups (P < 0.05). Supplementation with dietary Zn-Met increased serum TAC concentration in the kidney tissue compared with the control (P < 0.05), but had no effect on superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities. The Cr-Met group showed also a lower malondialdehyde concentration (P < 0.05) and higher TAC, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities in the liver tissue (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
Dietary supplementation with 10 mg Cr-Met/kg (1 mg Cr) in comparison to 500 mg Zn-Met/kg (50 mg Zn) improved the stress response of lambs subjected to a short-time road transportation, whereas growth performance was not affected.
Implications
The administration of Cr-Met or Zn-Met to diet of lambs before transportation could reduce the adverse effects of road transportation stress.
Summary
This study was completed to evaluate the effect of fenugreek seed (Trigonella foenum; FS) and asparagus root (Asparagus officinalis; AR) on in vitro nutrient digestibility and fermentation patterns. Different levels [0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of dry matter (DM)] of the medicinal plants were included using alfalfa hay (AH) as a basal substrate at different incubation times (12, 18, 24 and 48 h). Total phenolic components of AH, FS and AR were 5.9, 10 and 8.3 g/kg DM, whereas total tannins were 0.4, 3.8 and 1.5 g/kg DM, respectively. Corresponding values for saponins were 10.4, 27.3 and 40.3 g/kg DM. Fenugreek seed increased (p < 0.05) in vitro organic matter (OM) digestibility at different incubation times and decreased (p < 0.05) crude protein (CP) digestibility at 18 and 24 h of incubation. Asparagus root also increased (p < 0.05) in vitro OM digestibility and decreased (p < 0.05) CP digestibility at different incubation times. Neutral detergent fibre digestibility was increased (p < 0.05) by the addition of AR or FS at low levels, but decreased (p < 0.05) noticeably by increasing level of two plants in the basal substrate. Ammonia‐N concentration was markedly reduced (p < 0.05) by the addition of AR at different incubation times, and this reduction was accompanied by the decrease in CP digestibility. True DM degradability and partitioning factor (ratio of substrate DM truly degraded to gas volume produced at different times of incubation) were increased, and total volatile fatty acid concentration and total gas production were decreased (p < 0.05) with the addition of FS (at 10% and 15% DM levels) or AR (at 5%, 10% and 15% DM levels) at different incubation times. Results suggest that FS and AR may have potential as feed additives to increase the efficiency of nutrients’ utilization, particularly of nitrogen in ruminant diets.
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