The effect of dietary inclusion of Artemisia sieberi leaves on growth performance, feeding behaviors, ruminal fermentation, feed digestibility, and blood hemato-biochemical profile of growing male lambs.

The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of replacing alfalfa hay with Artemisia sieberi leaves (ASL) on growth performance, feeding behaviors, total tract feed digestibility, ruminal fermentation as well as blood cells, and biochemical parameters. A total of 21 Kermani male lambs (average body weight (BW) of 25.2 ± 0.9 kg) were randomly divided into three groups and offered the following treatments: (1) basal diet (65% concentrate and 35% alfalfa hay as forage source), (2) ASL inclusion at 25% of forage source (8.75% of TMR, ASL25), and (3) ASL addition at 50% of forage source (17.5% of TMR, ASL50). The experiment lasted for 64 days, including 14 days of adaptation and 50 days of data collection. Dietary ASL inclusion decreased lambs' feed consumption (6.7 and 2.8% reduction in ASL25 and ASL50, respectively, p < 0.05) without affecting water intake, final BW, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. Moreover, feeding behaviors, including time spent for eating, ruminating, and chewing activities, were uninfluenced by the dietary ASL addition on days 25 and 50 of the experiment. Based on the data provided, the substitution of alfalfa hay with ASL resulted in an increase in the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and neutral detergent fiber (p < 0.05). In addition, the ruminal fluid of ASL-fed lambs had a lower molar proportion of acetate and a higher proportion of propionate compared to that of the control animals (p < 0.05), whereas other volatile fatty acids (VFA) and total VFA were not different between the experimental groups. Blood hematocrit, hemoglobin, red cells, white cells, and their differentiation, platelets, glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin, triglyceride, calcium, phosphorus, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase, urea, total antioxidant capacity, and malondialdehyde remained unchanged when ASL was included in the diet. Regardless of the slight decrease in dry matter intake, the lack of adverse effects of dietary ASL addition on growth performance, feeding behaviors, rumen fermentation, and blood hemato-biochemical parameters, along with positive impacts of ASL on propionate production and total tract feed digestibility, suggest that Artemisia sieberi leaves can be considered as a potential alternative feed resource for small ruminants.

Dietary High Chromium-Methionine Supplementation in Summer-Exposed Finishing Lambs: Impacts on Feed Intake, Growth Performance, and Blood Cells, Antioxidants, and Minerals.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary high doses of chromium-methionine (CrMet) supplementation on blood hemato-biochemical parameters and growth performance of finishing lambs reared under warm condition with average temperature-humidity index (THI) of 85.8 unit. Fifteen male lambs (31.9 ± 1.2 kg) fed with either un-supplemented diet (CON) or supplemented with 1.5 (Cr1.5) and 3 (Cr3) mg of Cr/kg dry matter (DM) for 8 weeks. The results showed that high levels of supplemental Cr had no negative impacts on red (RBC) and white blood cells (WBC). Blood total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) tended to be higher in CrMet-fed lambs than those of CON (P < 0.1). Serum malondialdehyde (MDA), as a lipid peroxidation marker, was, respectively, 20.24 and 22.1%, lower in lambs given 1.5 and 3 mg of chromium comparing those of CON (P < 0.05). Moreover, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX, U/dL) displayed higher activity in Cr3 (421.2) group than those of CON (334.6) and Cr1.5 (351.2) groups (P < 0.05). Accordingly, GSH-PX activity per gram hemoglobin (U/gHb) was 45.9% greater in lambs of Cr3 than the CON (P < 0.05). Furthermore, feeding 3 mg of Cr led to increased erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (P < 0.05): as such, SOD was 1193.1, 1281.5, and 1433.0 U/gHb in CON, Cr1.5, and Cr3, respectively. Chromium supplementation linearly decreased serum iron concentration (P < 0.05), but neither blood calcium, phosphorous, copper, zinc, and glucose concentrations nor aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities were affected by supplemental CrMet. In comparison with CON (1250), lambs in Cr1.5 (1199) and Cr3 (1192) groups had lower daily feed intake (g/d, P < 0.01). In addition, feed to gain ratio was 21.5% lower in the Cr3 group than the control (P < 0.05). Collectively, these findings suggest that feeding summer-exposed finishing lambs with 3 mg of Cr/kg DM improves blood antioxidant status and feed to gain efficiency without adverse effects on lambs' health and metabolism.

Dietary supranutritional supplementation of selenium-enriched yeast improves feed efficiency and blood antioxidant status of growing lambs reared under warm environmental condition.

The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of dietary supranutritional supplementation of selenium-yeast (SY) on growth performance, blood cells, antioxidant status, and metabolic profile of lambs. Twenty-one Kermani male lambs (28.5 ± 2.6 kg of body weight) were used in a completely randomized design for 8 weeks under warm condition with temperature-humidity index (THI) of 81.3 ± 0.37 unit. The lambs were randomly divided into 3 groups given the basal diet either un-supplemented (control group) or supplemented with 0.6 or 1.2 mg of Se/kg dry matter (DM) as SY. Average daily Se intake was 0.12, 0.83, and 1.54 mg in lambs on control, 0.6 mg and 1.2 mg of supplemental Se treatments, respectively (P < 0.0001). The results showed that average daily gain tended to be higher in lambs received Se-supplemented diets than those fed the unsupplemented diet (P < 0.1). Feed efficiency improved by SY supplementation, thereby feed to gain ratio (FG) reduced 19 and 17% respectively in lambs fed 0.6 (FG = 6.58) and 1.2 (FG = 6.7) mg of Se/kg DM compared to those of the control (FG = 8.12) (P < 0.05). Feeding 1.2 mg of Se to growing lambs not only improved blood total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) as 18.1% and glutathione peroxidase activity (GSH-Px) as 17.6%, but also made 13.1% reduction in serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration as a lipid peroxidation marker (P < 0.05). Despite its statistical insignificance (P > 0.05), erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was also greater in Se-fed groups compared to that of the control. Based on the obtained data, lambs fed 1.2 mg of Se/kg DM, had lower serum urea concentration and albumin to globulin ratio than those on unsupplemented diet (P < 0.05). Moreover, increased RBC count was observed in lambs received 0.6 mg of supplemental Se (P < 0.05). Selenium-enriched yeast supplementation gave rise to increased blood lymphocyte percentage (P < 0.05). The results also indicated that dietary high Se feeding had no adverse effects on blood metabolites including glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin, liver enzymes, and triglyceride content. In the overall, these findings suggest that Se-enriched yeast is a kind of safe Se source for sheep and its dietary supranutritional supplementation for 8 weeks improves feed efficiency of growing lambs. Furthermore, increasing the supplemental Se to 1.2 mg/kg of diet promotes lambs' blood antioxidant status without inducing any detrimental impacts on cell metabolism.

Selenium-methionine and chromium-methionine supplementation of sheep around parturition: impacts on dam and offspring performance.

To examine the effects of maternal energy restriction along with selenium-methionine (Se-Met) and chromium-methionine (Cr-Met) supplementation on performance of pregnant sheep and their offspring, the following treatments were allotted randomly to 40 multiparous Baluchi ewes (53.9 ± 1.15 kg of body weight [BW]) from 5 weeks prior to 5 weeks after parturition: (1) Control diet (60% and 100% of NRC energy requirements in pre- and post-partum, respectively); (2) Control diet plus 5 mg Se-Met/kg dry matter (DM); (3) Control diet plus 3 mg Cr-Met/kg DM and (4) Control diet plus 5 mg Se-Met and 3 mg Cr-Met/kg DM (Se-Cr-Met) of concentrate diet. The results indicated that Cr-Met alone or in combination with Se-Met increased average DM intake of ewes. In addition, Group Cr-Met had higher average BW than the Control (p < 0.05). Se-Met and/or Cr-Met supplementation led to decreased average serum cholesterol of the ewes (p < 0.05). Groups Cr-Met and Se-Cr-Met displayed decreased average serum malondialdehyde compared to the Control (p < 0.05). At 24 h post-partum, Group Se-Cr-Met had a greater serum Se content than the Control (p = 0.006). Compared with the Control, the Se concentration in milk was significantly increased from 30 to 138 µg/l and 197 µg/l in Groups Se-Met and Se-Cr-Met, respectively (p < 0.01), which proved that Se-Met supplementation can increase the Se concentration of ewe milk. Furthermore, feeding Cr-Met may attenuate BW loss post-partum and Se-Met and/or Cr-Met supplements may ameliorate oxidative stress condition in ewes around parturition.

Impacts of feeding selenium-methionine and chromium-methionine on performance, serum components, antioxidant status, and physiological responses to transportation stress of Baluchi ewe lambs.

The effects of selenium-methionine (Se-Met) and chromium-methionine (Cr-Met) supplementation on performance and response to transportation stress were studied on 24 Baluchi ewe lambs (18-20 weeks of age) for 9 weeks. The lambs were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: (1) control; (2) 1.5 mg supplemental Se-Met/kg dry matter (DM) of diet; (3) 0.8 mg supplemental Cr-Met/kg DM of diet; and (4) 1.5 mg Se-Met plus 0.8 mg Cr-Met/kg DM of diet (Se-Cr-Met). At the commencement of week 8, a road transportation stress (TS) was carried out for 30 min. Lambs fed Cr-Met and Se-Cr-Met diets had higher feed intake than the control and Se-Met animals (P < 0.0001). Lambs on Cr-Met diet showed higher average daily gain (ADG) compared to the control group (P = 0.007). Se-Met and Cr-Met supplementation alone or in combination significantly (P < 0.05) reduced feed conversion ratio (FCR). The animals that received Se-Met (P = 0.014), Cr-Met (P = 0.005), and Se-Cr-Met (P = 0.003) supplemented diets had lower glucose concentration than the control. Lambs on Cr-Met had higher blood T3 concentration than control animals (P = 0.040), while Cr-Met (P = 0.039) and Se-Cr-Met (P = 0.032) supplementation increased triiodothyronine (T3) to thyroxin (T4) ratio. Animals fed Se-Met and/or Cr-Met supplements had lower blood malondialdehyde (MDA) in week 9 of the experiment (P < 0.05). Blood ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) tended to be higher in the Se-Met- and Se-Cr-Met-supplemented groups (P < 0.1).TS reduced feed intake in lambs fed the control diet in week 8 of the experiment (P = 0.003). The lambs given with supplemental Cr-Met exhibited lower glucose concentration before transportation (BT) (P = 0.029) and after transportation (AT) (P = 0.016) compared to the control. Lambs fed Se-Cr-Met had the lowest cortisol concentration BT (P < 0.05). It was concluded that feeding Se-Met and/or Cr-Met supplements could improve growth performance and be beneficial in attenuating the adverse effects of transportation stress in Baluchi ewe lambs.