Nutritional performance, hepatic and renal function in goats fed diets containing detoxified castor cake at different stages of pregnancy

Abstract

We evaluated the infl uence of the substitution of soybean meal by detoxifi ed castor cake on performance, digestibility of nutrients, nitrogen balance, hepatic and renal functions of pregnant goats fed with diets containing detoxifi ed castor cake by alkaline solutions during the stages (fi rst two-thirds and fi nal third) of pregnancy. Three diets were provided: one based on soybean meal and the other two based on castor cake detoxifi ed with whit calcium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. Goats fed detoxifi ed castor cake sodium hydroxide had lower consumption. Was no effect (P>0.05) of diets or stages on the digestibility of dry matter and nutrients. The goats that received the diets based on soybean meal and detoxifi ed castor cake calcium hydroxide consumed larger amounts of nitrogen. The goats fed with diet the basis of SM had greater weight in the parturition day. The average levels of enzymes for hepatic and renal functions were within normal patterns. Of enzymes related to liver metabolism, only the gammaglutamyl transferase increased in the fi nal third of pregnancy. The present study demonstrated that detoxifi ed castor by sodium hydroxide reduces the consumption of goats during gestation, but did not affect negatively the renal and hepatic parameters.