Biochemical and hormonal parameters of goats kept in a controlled environment consuming water with different levels of salinity

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the biochemical and hormonal variables of Moxotó and Canindé goats submitted to two temperatures - 26.0±0.6 (thermoneutral) and 32.0±1.2°C (above thermal comfort zone) - and consuming water with three levels of salinity (1.0, 6.0 and 12.0 dSm-1). Thirty-six animals (18 of each breed) were used, with an average age of 5.0±0.6months and an average weight of 20.0±2.3kg, housed in metabolic cages inside a climate chamber. The animals were distributed in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial scheme (2 breeds, 2 temperatures and 3 levels of salinity) and three replications. The glucose and urea had a significant effect (P>0.05) according to water salinity. Glucose, cholesterol, protein, albumin, globulin, aspartate aminotransferase and hormones (T4, T3 and cortisol) varied according to temperature (P<0.05). There was a significant effect of time on hormonal variables (P<0.05). Biochemical and hormonal variables changed according to temperature and day shift, so that metabolism was reduced in the animals under thermal stress and accelerated when animals were in the thermal comfort zone.

Heat tolerance of goats to increased daily maximum temperature and low salinity of drinking water in tropical humid regions

“…The inconclusive results were also observed in cholesterol levels when the animals experienced heat stress. The increased cholesterol level was associated with triglyceride mobilization [21,34], while the decrease was related to increased water retention, lowered thyroid activity, and feed (cholesterol) intake [16,31,33,35]. In the current study, it appears that feed intake had a greater impact on glucose and cholesterol levels than the major shift in body water retention.…”