Effects of mannan oligosaccharides on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation and hematological parameters in sheep

Abstract

Background Mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) are a promising feed additive in animal husbandry due to mainly improving animal health status. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of MOS on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and twelve hematological parameters in sheep. Methods Ninety-six healthy Hu rams with similar body weights were chosen and divided into four treatment groups (twenty-four rams in each group), in which four different doses of MOS were tested: 0%, 0.8%, 1.6% and 2.4% of the basal diet (on an as-fed basis). Results The results showed that supplementation dietary MOS did not affect feed intake, body weight, average daily weight gain, or ruminal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentration; the ratio of individual fatty acids to total SCFAs, the C2/C3 ratio, and the hematological parameters in the sheep were also unaltered (P > 0.05). Conversely, supplementation dietary MOS increased the dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and ash apparent digestibility (P < 0.05), and decreased the ruminal ammonia concentration in the sheep (P < 0.05), especially at a dose of 1.6%. Conclusions This indicates that supplementation dietary MOS improved nutrient utilization by the sheep and nitrogen metabolism in the rumen; however, the effects are too slight to interfere with the basal metabolism in the sheep.

Supplementation of Aspergillus oryzae Culture Improved the Feed Dry Matter Digestibility and the Energy Supply of Total Volatile Fatty Acid Concentrations in the Rumen of Hu Sheep

“…Previous studies have shown that AO and its culture have different effects on serum biochemical indices such as phosphorus, urea nitrogen, and alkaline phosphatase activity ( 36 , 37 ), while the effect on blood cell composition has not been studied. The effects of nutritional additives on hematological parameters in sheep ( 13 ) and Nile tilapia ( 38 ) were usually insignificant, which were consistent with our results.…”

“…Hematological parameters such as blood cell content are typically auxiliary indexes used to monitor health conditions or metabolic processes of animals ( 13 ). The blood cell analysis results of the sheep in the present study showed that all indicators were within the normal reference range ( 35 ), and AOC supplementation did not affect the blood cell composition, indicating that the experimental sheep remained healthy and free from disease.…”

“…In the sheep industry, the sheep should be fed by balanced diets which contain all kinds of nutrients even some small feed additives to improve nutrients digestion and absorption, promote ruminal fermentation and hematological parameters, ultimately enhance the growth performance and productivity of sheep ( 13 ). Hematological indicators could reflect the health status of animals.…”

Effects of Galactomannan Oligosaccharides on Growth Performance, Mycotoxin Detoxification, Serum Biochemistry, and Hematology of Goats Fed Mycotoxins-Contaminated Diets

“…Similarly, dietary supplementation MOS did not affect the WBC count, EOS or BAS of dairy cows (35). Zheng et al (36) reported that MOS did not significantly influence basal hematological parameters because their effects on the animal body are slight. In the current study, dietary supplementation of GMOS significantly increased routine blood indicators like MON, PCT, PLT and PDW.…”

Expression Profiles of the Ovine IL18 Gene and Association of Its Polymorphism With Hematologic Parameters in Hu Lambs

“…In livestock breeding, health-related traits are becoming a priority, while hematologic parameters are important to evaluate the health condition, feeding management and nutrition level of animal, and the variation hematologic traits are caused by genetic and non-genetic (e.g., breed, age, sex and management systems) (24). At present, the studies on sheep hematologic parameters mainly focus on nutrition level and breed (25)(26)(27). In this study, the hematologic traits were measured for 819 male Hu sheep aged 6 months under the same nutritional level and management conditions, and the descriptive statistics and heritability estimates were performed for these traits, the results shown the average values were within the reference ranges of sheep according to the previous studies (26), the coefficient of variation were >10%, suggesting that these indexes have a certain selection space in the Hu sheep population.…”