An experiment including a [1-(13)C]leucine isotope dilution and a nitrogen balance were carried out to determine the effect of feeding plantain herb (Plantago lanceolata L.) on whole body protein synthesis (WBPS) and degradation in sheep kept at thermoneutral temperature (20 degrees C) or exposed to heat (30 degrees C). The animals were fed either mixed hay of orchardgrass and reed canarygrass (Hay-diet) or Hay-diet and plantain (9:1) (PL-diet) at maintenance level using a crossover design. Nitrogen intake was higher (p < 0.0001) for the Hay-diet than for the PL-diet, but N balance remained similar between diets and was higher (p = 0.003) during heat exposure than at thermoneutral temperature. The WBPS was numerically lower (p = 0.10) for the PL-diet than for the Hay-diet. The direction of the response to heat exposure differed (p = 0.04) between diets: after feeding the PL-diet the WBPS increased from 15.2-16.9 g x kgW(-0.75) x d(-1), whereas it decreased after feeding the Hay-diet from 17.5-16.6 g x kgW(-0.75) x d(-1). The present results suggest that the PL-diet may have a positive impact for WBPS during heat exposure, and could be used for rearing sheep as an alternative to the Hay-diet.
An experiment was conducted using a [6, 6-2 H]glucose isotope dilution method to determine the effects of plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) on plasma glucose metabolism in sheep taken from a thermoneutral environment and exposed to a hot environment. The sheep were fed either mixed hay (MH) of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) at a 60:40 ratio or MH and plantain (PL) at a 9:1 ratio in a crossover design for each 23-day period. In both dietary treatments the metabolizable energy (ME) and crude protein intake were designed to be isoenergetic and isoproteinous at around maintenance level. The sheep were taken from a thermoneutral environment (20°C, 70% RH) and exposed to a hot environment (28-30°C, 70% RH) for 5 days. The isotope dilution method using a single injection of [6, 6-2 H]glucose was performed on the 18 th day of the thermoneutral environment and on the 5 th day of heat exposure. Plasma glucose pool size was numerically lower (p = 0.26) during heat exposure on both dietary treatments, and numerically higher (p = 0.13) on the MH diet irrespective of environmental temperature. Plasma NEFA concentration (p = 0.01) and glucose turnover rate (p = 0.03) were decreased during heat exposure, but remained similar between diets. It could be concluded that, although no positive impact of plantain on glucose metabolism was found under the present experimental conditions (plantain constituted only 10% of basal diet), plantain herb is an alternative to MH for rearing sheep in both thermoneutral and hot environments.
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