Long-term chromium picolinate supplementation improves colostrum profile of Santa Ines ewe.

Chromium (Cr) is a micromineral that is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, ammonia, and nucleic acids; thus, its supplementation can influence the nutritional status of ruminants, and consequently, colostrum profile, since this secretion depends on products secreted by the mammary gland and elements of the maternal bloodstream. The present study investigated the influence of supplementation with Cr bound to organic molecule on the nutritional, immune, and antioxidant quality of ewe colostrum. Thirty-two multiparous Santa Ines ewes (55.3 ± 8.00 kg body weight) were randomly assigned into four groups: T1 (0.0 mg of chromium picolinate (CrPic) supplementation per ewe, n = 8), T2 (0.15 mg of CrPic per ewe, n = 9), T3 (0.30 mg of CrPic per ewe, n = 7), and T4 (0.45 mg of CrPic per ewe, n = 8). Supplementation was supplied during the breeding season, pregnancy, and lactation. Shortly after calving, the first milking colostrum was collected to determine its chemical composition, activity of lysozyme, lactoperoxidase, ceruloplasmin, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity. The results show that lactoperoxidase activity decreased with CrPic supplementation (P < 0.01), revealing that this micromineral reduces an important component of defense mechanism in the body. Therefore, the results of this work show that supplementation with chromium picolinate influences colostrum quality.

Fiber fractions, multielemental and isotopic composition of a tropical C4 grass grown under elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide.

BACKGROUND: Brazil has the largest commercial herd of ruminants with approximately 211 million head, representing 15% of world's beef production, in an area of 170 million hectares of grasslands, mostly cultivated with Brachiaria spp. Although nutrient reduction due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration has already been verified in important crops, studies evaluating its effects on fiber fractions and elemental composition of this grass genus are still scarce. Therefore, a better understanding of the effects of elevated CO2 on forage quality can elucidate the interaction between forage and livestock production and possible adaptations for a climate change scenario. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of contrasting atmospheric CO2 concentrations on biomass production, morphological characteristics, fiber fractions, and elemental composition of Brachiaria decumbens (cv. Basilisk). METHODS: A total of 12 octagonal rings with 10 m diameter were distributed in a seven-ha coffee plantation and inside each of them, two plots of 0.25 m2 were seeded with B. decumbens (cv. Basilisk) in a free air carbon dioxide enrichment facility. Six rings were kept under natural conditions (≈390 µmol mol-1 CO2; Control) and other six under pure CO2 flux to achieve a higher concentration (≈550 µmol mol-1 CO2; Elevated CO2). After 30 months under contrasting atmospheric CO2 concentration, grass samples were collected, and then splitted into two portions: in the first, whole forage was kept intact and in the second portion, the leaf, true stem, inflorescence and senescence fractions were manually separated to determine their proportions (%). All samples were then analyzed to determine the fiber fractions (NDF, hemicellulose, ADF, cellulose, and Lignin), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) contents and N isotopic composition. RESULTS: Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration did not influence biomass productivity, average height, leaf, stem, senescence and inflorescence proportions, and fiber fractions (p > 0.05). Calcium content of the leaf and senescence portion of B. decumbens were reduced under elevated atmospheric CO2 (p < 0.05). Despite no effect on total C and N (p > 0.05), lower C:N ratio was observed in the whole forage grown under elevated CO2 (p < 0.05). The isotopic composition was also affected by elevated CO2, with higher values of δ15N in the leaf and stem portions of B. decumbens (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: Productivity and fiber fractions of B. decumbens were not influenced by CO2 enrichment. However, elevated CO2 resulted in decreased forage Ca content which could affect livestock production under a climate change scenario.

Unconventional Vegetable Oils for a Reduction of Methanogenesis and Modulation of Ruminal Fermentation.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of vegetable oils from plants grown in Brazil, first using the in vitro batch culture, and then evaluating the oil with methane (CH4) reducing potential in an in vivo experiment. The in vitro experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design using the seven contrasting oils. Treatments consisted of a control and 3 increasing concentrations (0, 1, 2, and 5% v/v) of oil added to a tifton 85 hay samples. All vegetable oils linearly decreased (P < 0.01) gas production after 24 h of incubation, with the greatest reduction when 5% of oil was included into the diet. Açaí and buriti had no effect of CH4 (% or mL/g DM incubated) however carrot, macaúba, basil, passionflower, and pequi oil all linearly decreased (P < 0.01) CH4 production with increasing inclusion rate of oil. Pequi oil resulted in the largest decrease in CH4 production (mL/g DM incubated) after 24 h of in vitro incubation. The objective of the in vivo experiment was to evaluate the effects of pequi oil on nutrient digestibility, CH4 production, and rumen fermentation parameters in wethers fed a hay-based diet. The experiment was conducted as a 2 × 2 Latin Square design using 4 Dorper wethers (63.4 ± 1.46 kg body weight). There were 2 experimental periods of 21 d each, with d 1-14 used for diet adaptation and d 15-21 for measurements and collections. The treatments consisted of a control diet and pequi oil fed at 70 g per animal per day. The addition of pequi oil to the diet had no effect on feed intake or the digestibility of nutrients, however there was a numerical decrease in the population of cellulolytic bacteria. There was a tendency (P = 0.06) for pequi oil addition to decrease CH4 production (g/d) by 17.5%. From this study, we can conclude that pequi oil may be used as a suitable oil for reducing CH4 production from ruminants, with no negative effects on intake or digestibility.

Impact of Brazilian red propolis extract on blood metabolites, milk production, and lamb performance of Santa Inês ewes.

Twenty Santa Inês ewes used to evaluate effects of oral administration of Brazilian red propolis extract on blood metabolites, milk production, and lamb performance were randomly grouped (n = 10 ewes/group) to control without propolis administration and propolis treated (3 g red propolis extract/ewe/day) 21 days before expected lambing date. Blood samples were collected weekly, and daily milk yield was recorded twice weekly until 7 weeks postpartum. Propolis administration increased (P < 0.05) total leukocyte counts, protein, and globulin and glucose concentrations, decreased (P < 0.05) somatic cell counts, and enhanced (P < 0.05) yields of milk, fat, protein, and lactose. Propolis supplementation increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain and milk conversion ratio but had no effect on lamb birth and weaning weights. The prepartum administration of propolis extract supported positively the transition of ewes from pregnancy to lactation with health benefits achieved for both of ewes and lambs performances.

Effect of tanniniferous food from Bauhinia pulchella on pasture contamination with gastrointestinal nematodes from goats.

BACKGROUND: Tannin-rich plants have been examined as an alternative for controlling the gastrointestinal nematodes in ruminants. In vivo assays typically examine the anthelmintic activity in female fecundity and/or the adult worm burden, without considering other life-cycle stages or the impact on pasture contamination. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anthelmintic activity of tanniniferous food from Bauhinia pulchella in goats and the potential impact on pasture contamination with the infective larval stage of gastrointestinal nematodes. FINDINGS: Sixteen cross breed Boer goats that were naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes were fed tanniniferous concentrate from the leaves of B. pulchella and compared to a separate paddock of control animals without condensed tannin supplementation. A range of parasite characteristics were monitored throughout the 63 days of experimentation, including faecal egg count (FEC), egg hatching and relative numbers of hatched helminth larvae on herbage. Worm free tracer animals were used to assess the infective larval stage load of the contaminated pasture. The tanniniferous food did not reduce the combined FEC values, but egg hatching was significantly affected (p < 0.05). The pasture grazed by goats fed with tanniniferous food from B. pulchella showed reduced contamination through infective larval stages. Tracer goats maintained in paddocks grazed with animals fed with tanniniferous food had lower numbers of Trichostrongylus colubriformis than did those in the control group (86 % reduction). CONCLUSIONS: Condensed tannin from B. pulchella showed anthelmintic activity, affected egg viability and reduced pasture contamination, which led to the reduced infection of the animals by T. colubriformis.

Effect of Brazilian red propolis administration on hematological, biochemical variables and parasitic response of Santa Inês ewes during and after flushing period.

Brazilian red propolis was administered orally to Santa Inês ewes, and evaluation was made of general health and hematological, biochemical, and parasitic responses during and after flushing. Thirty mature, nonlactating, nonpregnant Santa Inês ewes (40 ± 2 kg and 2.5 years old) were grazing tropical pasture (Brachiaria decumbens and Pennisetum purpureum) and, as flushing after synchronization, were supplemented with a concentrate-roughage mixture at a rate of 4 % body weight (BW). Ewes were divided according to BW and fecal egg count (FEC) into two groups (n = 15 each): control and propolis that received propolis ethanolic extract at rates of, respectively, 0 and 3 g/ewe/day. The treatments lasted 21 days until the end of flushing period. BW and body condition score (BCS) were recorded, and blood and fecal samples were taken weekly for 8 weeks. Mean values of BW and BCS were not (P > 0.05) affected by propolis administration. Propolis increased (P < 0.01) total leukocytes (WBC), but no significant differences were observed for other hematological parameters. Propolis increased (P < 0.01) total protein and globulin concentrations and decreased (P < 0.01) triglycerides, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, and glutamate pyruvate transaminase. Propolis decreased (P < 0.05) FEC. Propolis administration had good impact on ewe health and may be a promising feed additive during critical periods such as flushing.

Bioavailability of iron in the regional basic diet (RBD) with dietary supplement in Brazil.

The consumption of the regional basic diet (RBD) determines a state of malnutrition found in the low-income population of Northeastern Brazil. A dietary supplement known as multimixture has been used as an alternative source of iron in food for the prevention and/or treatment of anemia and for the recovery from malnutrition. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the bioavailability of iron in the RBD supplemented with multimixture in iron-depleted and non-depleted Wistar rats. To produce iron depletion in the animals, pretest depletion diets without iron and the pretest control diet based on the AIN-93 diet were used for 8 weeks. This phase was followed by the test diets: control, AIN-93 extrinsically labeled with (59)FeCl(3); RBD, containing carioca beans intrinsically labeled with (59)Fe; and RBDMM, RBD plus multimixture, supplied in a single meal. Hemoglobin concentration, weight gain, and dietary intake were determined in the pretest phase. Iron bioavailability was determined by the determination of total-body radiation in the animals for 7 days, using a solid scintillation detector. The hemoglobin concentration, weight gain, and dietary intake were greater in the non-depleted animals than in the iron-depleted ones. The iron bioavailability of the diets did not differ significantly. It was concluded that the multimixture did not affect the bioavailability of Fe contained in the beans of the RBD.