Effects of Dietary Calcium Propionate Supplementation on Hypothalamic Neuropeptide Messenger RNA Expression and Growth Performance in Finishing Rambouillet Lambs

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of feeding different levels concentrations of dietary calcium propionate (CaPr) on lambs’ growth performance; ruminal fermentation parameters; glucose–insulin concentration; and hypothalamic mRNA expression for neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti-related peptide (AgRP), and proopiomelanocortin (POMC). Thirty-two individually fed lambs were randomly assigned to four treatments: (1) control diet (0 g/kg of CaPr), (2) low CaPr, (30 g/kg dry matter (DM)), (3) medium CaPr, (35 g/kg DM), and (4) high CaPr (40 g/kg DM). After 42 days of feeding, lambs were slaughtered for collecting samples of the hypothalamus. Data were analyzed as a complete randomized design, and means were separated using linear and quadratic polynomial contrast. Growth performance was not affected (p ≥ 0.11) by dietary CaPr inclusion. The ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acids (VFA) increased linearly (p = 0.04) as dietary CaPr increased. Likewise, a linear increase in plasma insulin concentration (p = 0.03) as dietary CaPr concentration increased. The relative mRNA expression of NPY exhibited a quadratic effect (p < 0.01), but there were significant differences in the mRNA expression of AgRP and POMC (p ≥ 0.10). Dietary calcium propionate did not improve lamb growth performance in lambs feed with only forage diets. Intake was not correlated with feed intake with mRNA expression of neuropeptides.

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Pomegranate seed oil rich in conjugated linolenic acids reduces in vitro methane production

South African Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4314/sajas.v46i3.13 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 46 (3) ◽

pp. 325-335

Author(s):

E. Maleki ◽

G.Y. Meng ◽

M. Faseleh Jahromi ◽

R. Jorfi ◽

A. Khoddami ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Methane Production ◽

Volatile Fatty Acids ◽

Seed Oil ◽

Control Diet ◽

Nutrient Utilization ◽

Gas Production ◽

Metabolizable Energy ◽

Ruminal Fermentation ◽

Ch4 Production

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) seed oil (PSO) on gas and methane (CH4) production, ruminal fermentation and microbial populations under in vitro conditions. Three treatments consisting of a control diet containing 10 mg tallow (CON); the control diet with 5 mg PSO + 5 mg tallow (MPSO) and the control diet containing 10 mg PSO (HPSO) were compared. Ten mg of the experimental fat/oil samples were inserted into a gas-tight 100 mL plastic syringe containing 30 mL of an incubation inoculum and 250 mg of a basic substrate of a hay/concentrate (1/1, w/w) mixture. In vitro gas production was recorded over 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 24 h of incubation. After 24 hours, incubation was stopped, and methane production, pH, volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and microbial counts were measured in the inoculant. Gas production at 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 24 h incubation, metabolizable energy and in vitro organic matter disappearance increased linearly and quadratically as level of PSO increased. Furthermore, the 10 mg PSO (HPSO) decreased CH4 production by 21.0% compared with the control (CON) group. There were no significant differences in total and individual VFA concentrations between different levels of PSO, except for butyric acid. After 24 h of incubation, methanogenesis decreased in the HPSO compared with the MPSO and CON treatments. In addition, total bacteria and protozoa counts increased with rising PSO levels, while population methanogenesis declined significantly. These results suggested that PSO could reduce methane emissions, which might be beneficial to nutrient utilization and growth in ruminants.

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Feeding Agroindustrial Byproducts to Light Lambs: Influence on Growth Performance, Diet Digestibility, Nitrogen Balance, Ruminal Fermentation, and Plasma Metabolites

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10040600 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 600 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Trinidad de Evan ◽

Almudena Cabezas ◽

Jesús de la Fuente ◽

María Dolores Carro

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Control Diet ◽

Animal Health ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Plasma Concentrations ◽

Barley Straw ◽

Plasma Metabolites ◽

Ruminal Fermentation ◽

Feed Conversion ◽

Homogeneous Groups

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of replacing cereals and protein concentrates in a high-cereal concentrate (control) for light lambs with corn distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS; 18%), dried citrus pulp (DCP; 18%), and exhausted olive cake (EOC; 8%) in a byproduct (BYP) concentrate on growth performance, digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and plasma metabolites. Two homogeneous groups of Lacaune lambs (13.8 kg ± 0.25 kg) were fed one of each concentrates and barley straw ad libitum until reaching about 26 kg body weight. There were no differences between groups on feed intake, average daily gain, or feed conversion ratio, but the control diet had greater (p < 0.001) dry matter digestibility. Diet had no effect on post-mortem ruminal pH and total volatile fatty acid concentrations and profile, but NH3-N concentrations were lower (p = 0.003) for the BYP-fed group compared with the control one. However, plasma concentrations of amino acids, total proteins, urea, and hepatic enzymes were not affected by the diet. In conclusion, 44% of feed ingredients in the concentrate for light lambs can be replaced with a mixture of corn DDGS, DCP, and EOC without negatively affecting growing performance and animal health.

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Age-Related Changes in the Ruminal Microbiota and Their Relationship With Rumen Fermentation in Lambs

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2021.679135 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Xuejiao Yin ◽

Shoukun Ji ◽

Chunhui Duan ◽

Peizhi Tian ◽

Sisi Ju ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Bacterial Community ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Volatile Fatty Acids ◽

Rumen Fermentation ◽

Rumen Bacteria ◽

Ruminal Fermentation ◽

Rumen Microbiota ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Changes

The rumen microbiota is vital for the health and growth performance of the host animal, mainly due to its role in the fermentation of ingested feed within the rumen. Attaining a better understanding of the development of the bacterial community and fermentation in the rumen can provide the theoretical basis for regulating feed utilization. This study analyzed the development of rumen bacteria in lambs from birth to 4 months of age using 16S-rRNA amplicon sequencing data and studied its relationship with ruminal fermentation. Serum levels of metabolites were monitored at 30, 60, 90, and 120 days of age, and the RandomForest approach was used to determine age-related changes in rumen bacteria. Levels of blood metabolites, ruminal fermentation, the rumen bacterial community and its functions were all affected by the age of the lambs (P < 0.05). Based on the Bray-Curtis distance within the age groups of the rumen microbiota, the similarity increased sharply after the lambs were weaned at 60 days of age (P < 0.05). The similarity between the samples collected from birth to 90 days of age and those collected at 120 days of age, increased after 20 days of age, reaching a maximum at 90 days vs. 120 days (P < 0.05). Some age-associated changes in the microbial genera were correlated with changes in the concentrations of volatile fatty acids and the levels of microbial crude protein in the rumen, including positive correlations between main volatile fatty acids and the genera of Prevotella 1, Lachnospiraceae NK3A20 group, Ruminococcus gauvreauii group, Ruminococcaceae UCG-014, and Ruminococcus 2 (P < 0.05). These results indicated that the microbial community and the function of rumen was not well-established before 20 days of age, so there is a degree of plasticity in the rumen bacterial community during the first 20 days of post-natal development in lambs, and this might provide an opportunity for interventions to improve rumen fermentation and, thus, increase their growth performance.

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Ruminal fermentation, nutrient digestibility and microbial protein synthesis in sheep fed diets with different levels of date pulp

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an14586 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 57 (4) ◽

pp. 636 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

A. Khezri ◽

S. Javidan ◽

O. Dayani ◽

R. Tahmasbi

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Protein Synthesis ◽

Volatile Fatty Acids ◽

Control Diet ◽

Nutrient Digestibility ◽

Nitrogen Excretion ◽

Ruminal Fermentation ◽

Microbial Protein ◽

Microbial Protein Synthesis ◽

Different Levels

Four ruminally cannulated mature Kermani sheep (50 ± 2.3 kg and 40 ± 2.1 months old) were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to determine the effects of diets with different levels of date pulp (DP) on ruminal fermentation, nutrient digestibility and microbial protein synthesis. DP was replaced for wheat bran in diets at no DP (0 DP), 7 (7 DP), 14 (14 DP) and 21% (21 DP) of diet dry matter (DM) and were fed twice daily (0800 hours and 1800 hours). In this study, increasing the amount of DP in diets of sheep did not affect DM intake and apparent digestibility of nutrient (P > 0.05). Inclusion of DP in diets increased ruminal pH linearly (P < 0.05), but did not influence total volatile fatty acids and molar proportion of individual volatile fatty acids (P > 0.05). Ruminal ammonia nitrogen concentration (6.04 vs 10.13 mmol/L), and blood urea nitrogen (8.59 vs 13.10 mg/dL) were affected by diets (P < 0.05). Moreover, urinary nitrogen excretion was higher (P < 0.05) for Control diet (no DP) than the 21 DP diet. In this study, urinary excretion of purine derivatives and microbial protein synthesis were affected by experimental diets (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study showed that DP at 14% can be used as an alternative feed resource in sheep nutrition especially in semiarid areas.

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Phytase and cholecalciferol supplementation of low-calcium and low-phosphorus diets for pigs

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4141/a97-124 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 78 (3) ◽

pp. 307-313 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

O. Adeola ◽

J. I. Orban ◽

D. Ragland ◽

T. R. Cline ◽

A. L. Sutton

Keyword(s):

Weight Gain ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Control Diet ◽

Dietary Calcium ◽

Positive Control ◽

Phosphorus Concentration ◽

Low Calcium ◽

Low Phosphorus ◽

Cholecalciferol Supplementation ◽

Plasma Phosphorus

The effects of different levels of calcium, phytase, and cholecalciferol in low-phosphorus diets were studied in individually-penned 20-kg pigs for 28 d. The positive control diet, used in all three experiments, was formulated to contain 6 g Ca and 5.4 g P kg−1. In the first experiment, four barrows and four gilts received one of seven diets arranged as a positive control plus 2 × 3 factorial of phytase (0 or 1, 600 units kg−1) and calcium (3, 4.5 or 6 g kg−1) containing phosphorus at 3.4 g kg−1. Phytase addition increased (P < 0.05) plasma phosphorus concentration, weight gain and gain:feed ratio. Plasma phosphorus, weight gain and gain:feed ratio were linearly reduced (P < 0.05) as dietary calcium level increased in the low-phosphorus diets but not in the phytase-supplemented low-phosphorus diets. The second experiment was similar to the first experiment, except that phytase was reduced to 800 units kg−1 and dietary calcium levels were 2.5, 3, or 3.5 g kg−1. Phytase addition increased (P < 0.05) weight gain, gain:feed ratio, plasma phosphorus and calcium. A low-calcium (3.5 g kg−1), low-phosphorus (3.4 g kg−1) diet was supplemented with phytase (0 or 800 units kg−1) and cholecalciferol (0 or 800 ug kg−1) in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement plus a positive control in the third experiment. Growth performance was similar (P > 0.1) among pigs that received the positive control and the phytase- or cholecalciferol-supplemented low-calcium, low-phosphorus diets. These results demonstrate that high dietary calcium in a low-phosphorus diet depresses pig performance and that phytase or cholecalciferol supplementation of a low-calcium (3.5 g kg−1), low-phosphorus (3.4 g kg−1) diet produces similar growth performance as a diet with adequate calcium (6 g kg−1) and phosphorus (5.4 g kg−1) when fed to 20-kg pigs. Key words: Pigs, phytase, cholecalciferol, phosphorus, calcium

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Effects of dietary calcium propionate on growth performance and carcass characteristics of finishing lambs

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an14824 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 56 (7) ◽

pp. 1194 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

German D. Mendoza-Martínez ◽

Juan M. Pinos-Rodríguez ◽

Héctor A. Lee-Rangel ◽

Pedro A. Hernández-García ◽

Rolado Rojo-Rubio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Volatile Fatty Acids ◽

Carcass Characteristics ◽

Ruminal Fermentation ◽

Feed Conversion ◽

Long Chain Fatty Acid ◽

Longissimus Dorsi Muscle ◽

Rumen Ph ◽

Quadratic Response ◽

Fermentation Pattern ◽

Calcium Propionate

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the addition of two levels of calcium propionate on lamb performance and some carcass characteristics. Twenty-one male Creole lambs with an initial weight of 25.3 ± 3.3 kg were randomly assigned to one of the following treatments: 0, 10, and 20 g of calcium propionate/kg of diet (dry matter basis). Intake, daily gain, feed conversion, carcass weight, and rib eye area were not affected (P < 0.05) by calcium propionate addition. Ruminal fermentation was not altered (rumen pH, volatile fatty acids concentration, and fermentation pattern), and ruminal ammonia-N presented a quadratic response (P < 0.05). In fat from the longissimus dorsi muscle, oleic acid showed a linear decrease (P < 0.05) and α-linolenic presented a linear increment (P < 0.05). The addition of 10 or 20 g of calcium propionate in diets containing 350 g/kg grain and 100 g/kg molasses did not modify the productive performance of lambs or ruminal fermentation, and minor changes were detected in long-chain fatty acid in intramuscular fat.

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Effect of dietary inclusion of safflower meal on ruminal fermentation, growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of lambs

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1139/cjas-2018-0096 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 99 (2) ◽

pp. 260-267

Author(s):

Germán Buendía-Rodríguez ◽

Laura H. Vallejo ◽

Mona M.Y. Elghandour ◽

Abdelfattah Z.M. Salem ◽

Victor Mlambo

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Meat Quality ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Volatile Fatty Acids ◽

Carcass Characteristics ◽

Nutrient Digestibility ◽

Ruminal Fermentation ◽

Post Feeding

This study examines the effect of including graded levels of safflower meal (SM) [0 (SM0), 150 (SM15), or 200 g kg−1 dry matter (SM20)] in diets of Katahdin–Pelibuey lambs on ruminal fermentation, growth performance, and meat quality. Experimental diets were randomly allocated to 24 lambs (29.25 ± 0.55 kg) in a 60 d feeding trial. On day 30, rumen fluid was collected from each sheep at 0, 3, and 6 h after morning feeding to measure pH, ammonia, and volatile fatty acids. Feed intake, nutrient digestibility, growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality were also measured. Feed intake, ruminal volatile fatty acids concentration, dry matter, and crude protein digestibility were not affected (P > 0.05) by diets. Lambs fed on SM15 had higher (P < 0.05) ruminal pH at 3 and 6 h post feeding compared with those on SM0 and SM20. Inclusion of SM increased (P < 0.05) ruminal ammonia concentration at 3 and 6 h post feeding; however, daily gain decreased with increasing levels of SM. Diets did not affect (P > 0.05) carcass and meat quality traits. Feeding SM-containing diets resulted in similar feed utilization, carcass characteristics, and meat quality to the control diet while improving ruminal fermentation parameters.

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Evaluation of monensin, yeast and glucogenic precursor on growth performance, ruminal fermentation and digestive kinetics of feedlot steers

Indian Journal of Animal Research ◽

10.18805/ijar.b-1003 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Murillo-Ortiz Manuel ◽

Pámanes- Castillo ◽

Yamicela . ◽

Ortiz- Robledo ◽

Faviola . ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Ruminal Fermentation ◽

Performance Variables ◽

Feedlot Steers ◽

Final Weight ◽

Calcium Propionate ◽

Ruminal Digestion ◽

Kinetics Of ◽

Daily Gain

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation of monensin, yeast and glucogenic precursors on growth performance and digestive characteristics of feedlot beef cattle. The treatments evaluated were: control, monensin (40 mg/kg DM), S. cerevisiae (10 g/a/d) and a mix of 1,2-propanediol and calcium propionate as glucogenic precursors (20 g/a/d) as D1, D2, D3 and D4, respectively. In trial 1, eighty steers (261±8 kg) were evaluated for 120d for growth performance variables. Thus, supplementation increased the average daily gain, feed efficiency and final weight (P less than 0.05). In Trial 2, four steers (260±5 kg) were used to evaluate ruminal fermentation and total digestive parameters. The ruminal propionate concentrations and the flow of nitrogen to duodenum increased with supplementation (P less than 0.05) whereas the ruminal digestion of nitrogen decreased with supplementation (P less than 0.05). It is concluded that productive parameters and propionate production are higher when supplementing with 10 g/a/d of S. cerevisiae and 20 g/a/d of the glucogenic precursor which presented a lower ruminal protein degradation.

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The role of propionate and acetate in the control of food intake in sheep

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1079/bjn19930103 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 70 (1) ◽

pp. 37-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

D. A. H. Farningham ◽

C. C. Whyte

Keyword(s):

Food Intake ◽

Volatile Fatty Acids ◽

Potential Role ◽

Insulin Concentration ◽

Plasma Insulin Concentration ◽

Hepatic Portal Vein ◽

Pelleted Diet ◽

Hepatic Portal ◽

Osmotic Effects

Sheep fed ad lib. on a good-quality pelleted diet (g/kg; hay 500, barley 300, molasses, fish meal and minerals) were infused via the hepatic portal vein with mixtures of the sodium salts of volatile fatty acids, acetate and propionate, and a variety of equivalent osmotic loads. Propionate infused at rates between 0·6 and 2·5 mmol/min consistently reduced food intake in a linear, dose-related manner. Propionate infusions resulted in consistent dose-related increases in peripheral venous plasma glucose concentration but variable changes in insulin concentration. Infusion of osmotically balanced mixtures of propionate, acetate, mannitol or saline (9 g NaCI/I) indicated that at constant osmotic loading propionate caused a greater reduction in intake than other infusions. Acetate infusions only depressed food intake when administered as a 1 M solution. Lower concentrations had little effect, similar to that of equivalent osmotic loads of mannitol or saline. It is concluded that portal propionate flow has a potential role in the control of food intake in ruminants which is independent of osmotic effects or changes in plasma insulin concentration.

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