The present study aimed to morphometrically evaluate the ruminal mucosa and ruminal fluid characteristics of Santa Inês sheep fed different levels of spineless cactus as a replacement for Tifton grass hay. A total of 32 intact male Santa Inês sheep, approximately 180 days old and with a mean weight of 32.0±1.6kg, were studied in a completely randomized design with four treatments and eight replicates. The morphometric measurements evaluated in the ruminal epithelium (papilla height and surface area) were significantly affected (P< 0.05) by supplementation of the diet with spineless cactus, and these effects showed increasing linear trends. Evaluations of the ruminal fluid also showed a significant increasing linear effect (P< 0.05) for ammonia and a quadratic effect for microbial protein. The inclusion of spineless cactus in the sheep diet affects the ruminal epithelium morphology, including the papilla height and surface area, and favors the absorption process in the rumen. The diet containing higher levels of spineless cactus led to maximum microbial protein production. These results characterize spineless cactus as a feasible alternative for feeding sheep during periods of drought, when the typical food source is scarce.

SUMMARY Anthelmintics are used to combat nematodes. The misuse of anthelmintics can raise the cost of milk production. The objective of this research was to determine the presence of anthelmintics in goat milk. Twenty goats were used, divided into four groups of five animals: I- animals treated with an ivermectin-based anthelmintic; II- animals treated with moxidectin; III- animals treated with levamisole hydrochloride; and IV: animals treated with albendazole. Milk samples were collected individually: before, and 1, 2, 3, 15 and 21 days after administration of the anthelmintics. Determination of anthelmintic residues was performed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). According to the results, there was an exponential effect (P<0.05) for ivermectin and moxidectin. Moxidectin was the anthelmintic that left a residue in the milk for the longest time, up to 21 days. However, with all the anthelmintics researched, residues were below the maximum limit recommended by the inspecting agencies.