Feeding the combination of essential oils and exogenous α-amylase increases performance and carcass production of finishing beef cattle1

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance responses of finishing feedlot cattle to dietary addition of essential oils and exogenous enzymes. The treatments in each experiment consisted of (DM basis): MONsodium monensin (26 mg/kg); BEO-a blend of essential oils (90 mg/kg); BEO+MON-a blend of essential oils plus monensin (90 mg/kg + 26 mg/ kg, respectively); BEO+AM-a blend of essential oils plus exogenous α-amylase (90 mg/kg + 560 mg/kg, respectively); and BEO+AM+PRO-a blend of essential oils plus exogenous α-amylase and exogenous protease (90 mg/kg + 560 mg/kg + 840 mg/kg, respectively). Exp. 1 consisted of a 93-d finishing period using 300 Nellore bulls in a randomized complete block design. Animals fed BEO had higher DMI (P < 0.001) but similar feed efficiency to animals fed MON (P ≥ 0.98). Compared with MON, the combination of BEO+AM resulted in 810 g greater DMI (P = 0.001), 190 g greater average daily gain (P = 0.04), 18 kg heavier final body weight (P = 0.04), and 12 kg heavier hot carcass weight (P = 0.02), although feed efficiency was not significantly different between BEO+AM and MON (P = 0.89). Combining BEO+MON tended to decrease hot carcass weight compared with BEO alone (P = 0.08) but not compared with MON (P = 0.98). Treatments did not impact observed dietary net energy values (P ≥ 0.74) or the observed:expected net energy ratio (P ≥ 0.11). In Exp. 2, five ruminally cannulated Nellore steers were used to evaluate intake, apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients, and ruminal parameters in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. Feeding BEO increased the total tract digestibility of CP compared to MON (P = 0.03). Compared to MON, feeding the combination of BEO+MON increased the intake of CP (P = 0.04) and NDF (P = 0.05), with no effects on total tract digestibility of nutrients (P ≥ 0.56), except for a tendency (P = 0.09) to increase CP digestibility. Intakes of all nutrients measured, except for ether extract (P = 0.16) were greater in animals fed BEO+AM when compared with MON (P ≤ 0.03), with no differences on total tract nutrient digestibilities (P ≥ 0.11) between these two treatments. In summary, diets containing the BEO used herein enhanced DMI of growing-finishing feedlot cattle compared with a basal diet containing MON without impair feed efficiency. A synergism between BEO and AM was detected, further increasing cattle performance and carcass production compared to MON.

Brazilian red pepper leaves essential oil (Schinus terebinthifolius) in diets for feedlot lambs

“…The increased in LM area and protein content in the meat of lambs fed higher doses of red pepper leaves EO can be explained by the availability of protein for the ruminant post-absorptive metabolism. Meschiatti et al (2019) described that the blend EO did not affect the nitrogen intake compared with diets containing monensin; however, an increase in protein digestibility and nitrogen absorbed was observed when blend EO was used.…”

Effect of the addition of essential oils, enzymes, ionophores and combinations of feed additives in finishing cattle diets

“…This performance advantage for CG and BEO+AM appears related to greater DMI and ADG over the feeding trial. Similarly, Meschiatti et al (2018) also observed 12 kg greater HCW for cattle fed the combination of BEO+AM as compared with cattle fed MON in diets containing flint corn with a 2.04 mm particle size. Consistent with our results, these authors observed that DMI was greater for animals fed BEO+AM vs. MON despite no differences in feed efficiency between these two feed additives.…”

“…These calculated NE concentrations were compared with those predicted using the equations for TDN that were converted to NE concentrations using equations from the NASEM (2016) empirical model. Specific details related to feeding procedures, sampling, laboratory analysis and calculations were described by Meschiatti et al (2018).…”

“…Detailed information related to feeding procedures, sample collection, laboratory analysis and calculations for Exp. 2 were described by Meschiatti et al (2018). Briefly, steers were housed 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22 and 24 h after feeding as described by Danes et al (2013).…”

“…According the lack of interaction of enzymes with the substrate can explain the lack of response in some in vivo studies in which exogenous enzymes were added in cattle diets. The combination of a specific BEO and exogenous AM resulted in greater average daily gain and carcass weight compared with MON primarily by increasing energy intake and the amount of nutrient digested in the total tract of finishing Nellore bulls (Meschiatti et al, 2018). The combination of these two additives could circumvent concerns regarding the use of antibiotics in commercial beef production (Jouany and Morgavi, 2007;de Souza et al, 2018) and should be further evaluated.…”