Chlorella vulgaris Microalgae and Copper Mixture Supplementation Enhanced the Nutrient Digestibility and Milk Attributes in Lactating Boer Goats

Abstract

Thirty-two lactating Boer goats (35.2 ± 1.4 kg body weight) were grouped into control and three treatment groups in completely randomised design. In treatment groups, supplementation was done as a mixture of 5 g Chlorella vulgaris + 4.5 mg of supplemental Cu/kg diet from CuSO4 (Alg5 treatment), 10 g C. vulgaris + 9 mg of supplemental Cu/kg diet (Alg10 treatment), or a mixture of 15 g C. vulgaris + 13.5 mg of supplemental Cu/kg diet (Alg15 treatment). Treatments did not affect feed intake; however, Alg10 treatment increased (P<0.001) nutrient digestibility. Treatments did not affect ruminal pH, ammonia-N, butyrate; however, the Alg10 treatment increased (P<0.01) ruminal total volatile fatty acids, propionate and acetate concentrations. Without affecting other blood measurements, the Alg10 treatment quadratically increased (P<0.001) serum glucose and Cu. The Alg10 treatments increased (P<0.001) daily milk production and the concentration of fat, and enhanced milk (feed) efficiency. The Alg10 treatment decreased (P<0.05) milk saturated fatty acids and the atherogenic index, and increased the proportions of total conjugated linoleic acids, C18:1n9t, odd fatty acids and total unsaturated fatty acids compared with the control treatment. Present study concluded that inclusion of a mixture of 10 g C. vulgaris + 9 mg Cu/kg diet in the diet of lactating Boer goats enhanced nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, milk production, feed efficiency as well as milk nutritive value. Increasing the dose of the mixture to 15 g C. vulgaris + 13.5 mg Cu/kg diet is not recommended in the diet of lactating Boer goats.

Replacing the Concentrate Feed Mixture with Moringa oleifera Leaves Silage and Chlorella vulgaris Microalgae Mixture in Diets of Damascus Goats: Lactation Performance, Nutrient Utilization, and Ruminal Fermentation

“…This is a net result of the different concentrations of CP, fiber and NSC in M. oleifera , C. vulgaris and concentrates. No effect on DM intake of feeding M. oleifera [ 27 ] or C. vulgaris [ 3 , 15 ] in diets of lactating goats were reported earlier. Others reported that M. oleifera has a high palatability and feeding it to animals increased feed intake [ 6 ].…”

“…One of the main challenges faced by animal nutritionists is the scarcity and high cost of concentrates, which forces scientists to explore suitable alternatives for ruminant and nonruminant animals [ 1 , 2 ]. Use of multipurpose tree leaves (e.g., Moringa oleifera ) and protein-rich microalgae (e.g., Chlorella vulgaris ) in animal feeding has gained increasing interest, with mixed results [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Usually, supplementation of foliages in low-quality forage diets at low levels (20 to 40% of the total diet) is beneficial for ruminant performance and nutrient utilization due to better ruminal microbial activities.…”

“…C. vulgaris also contains other biological active components such as antioxidants, provitamins, vitamins, pigments, a growth phytonutrient known as the C. vulgaris growth factor (CGF), unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), glycoproteins and carotenoids [ 11 ]. Experiments [ 3 , 13 ] showed that C. vulgaris improved ruminal bacterial growth and altered ruminal biohydrogenation of monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) due to their effects on ruminal microbes, especially those involved in the metabolism and biohydrogenation of fatty acids in the rumen [ 11 , 14 ]. Recently, Kholif et al [ 3 ] observed that the inclusion of C. vulgaris in the diets of lactating Boer goats improved nutrient intake and digestibility, ruminal fermentation, lactational performance and milk nutritive value; however, other researchers [ 15 ] observed weak effects on feed intake, digestibility or daily milk production when feeding C. vulgaris to lactating Finnish Ayrshire cows.…”

Dietary strategies to enrich milk with healthy fatty acids – A review

“…Kholif et al (2017b) noted increased milk UFA and CLA contents by 16.2% and 53.8%, respectively, and decreased SFA concentration by 6.6% in the milk of goats supplemented with Chlorella vulgaris microalgae at 5 or 10 g daily. Recently, Kholif et al (2020b;2021c) observed that supplementing lactating Boer goats diet with C. vulgaris microalgae and copper decreased milk concentration of SFA and increased the concentrations of UFA and CLA. Pajor et al (2019) observed that feeding Schizochytrium limacinum marine algae to lactating goats considerably increased the milk DHA concentration and n-6/n-3 ratio.…”

Performance and Milk Composition of Nubian Goats as Affected by Increasing Level of Nannochloropsis oculata Microalgae

“…Moreover, some other microalgae are richly endowed with n-3 poly UFA, such as α-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) [ 3 , 10 , 11 ]. Including microalgae in the diet of ruminants showed promising results [ 3 , 6 , 7 , 12 ].…”