Effects of minerals on formation of color in the rumen epithelium of kids

Regional and Seasonal Variability of Mineral Patterns in Some Organs of Slaughtered One-Humped Camels [Camelus dromedarius] from Saudi Arabia

Camel products are receiving great interest worldwide because of their high functional properties and nutritive values. Therefore, this study was focused on the variation of copper [Cu], zinc [Zn], manganese [Mn], selenium [Se], iron [Fe], iodine [I], and some heavy metals, cobalt [Co], lead [Pb], and cadmium [Cd], in the blood and tissues of slaughtered camels from five regions in Saudi Arabia [SA] during the summer and winter seasons, because environmental factors vary from region to region. Whole blood, meat, liver, rumen fluid, and rumen tissues were collected from the slaughterhouse in each region during the two seasons. Moreover, samples were prepared and analyzed for trace mineral and heavy metal concentrations using ICP-MS. The data were statistically analyzed as part of a complete randomized design and correlation analysis for season and location using SAS. The findings revealed a pattern in the minerals, with Ca being the only mineral that was unrelated to other minerals in the liver. For lead and cadmium, our mean value in liver [0.40 µg/g] was below the limit of the EU standard for cadmium [0.50 µg/g], while in meat and liver, lead contents [1.62 µg/g and 2.57 µg/g, respectively] were above the limit of the EU standard [0.10 and 0.20 µg/g, respectively]. For meat, the significantly highest positive correlations were observed between P and Mg [R² = 0.928], Fe and Mn [R² = 0.860], and Co and Mn [R² = 0.821]. For rumen tissues, P and Mg were highly correlated [R² = 0.958] as well as Zn and Mg [R² = 0.857], Zn and P [R² = 0.836], and Fe and Ca [R² = 0.802]. As a result, a region and season reflect variations in mineral concentrations in SA during the summer and winter seasons. Further intensive research is needed to investigate the minerals' biological mechanisms in camels under different environmental conditions.

Effects of Sunflower Hulls on Productive Performance, Digestibility Indices and Rumen Morphology of Growing Awassi Lambs Fed with Total Mixed Rations

Forty-eight growing Awassi lambs were used in a 70-day trial to investigate the effects of different levels of dietary sunflower hulls (SFH) on growth, rumen morphology, fiber digestibility and meat characteristics of lambs. Animals were randomly allocated to 4 groups with 3 replicates of 4 lambs each. The diet was composed of total mixed ration (TMR) without SFH (control group), and the TMR diet supplemented with SFH at a level of 5% (SFH5), 10% (SFH10) and 15% (SFH15). Lambs in the treatment groups had greater BW changes (p = 0.04) and ADG (p = 0.04) than the lambs in the control group. Intake of dry matter, acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were also significantly (p < 0.05) higher in SFH15 compared to SFH10. Digestibility of ADL and empty stomach weight were also significantly (p < 0.05) higher in SFH10 and SFH15, respectively. Cooking loss, blood total cholesterol and total protein decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in SFH15. Ruminal lightness (L) and yellowness (b) also increased significantly (p < 0.05) in SFH15. We concluded that the TMR diet supplemented with up to 15% SFH improved weight gain, digestibility, meat cooking loss and rumen color in Awassi lambs.

Effect of zeolite supplementation on the dynamics of some trace elements and pigmentation of rumen in growing lambs

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding complete feed as total mixed ration (TMR) with two levels of zeolite on copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) status and rumen color of growing Naemi lambs. Twenty-four growing lambs (25 ± 2.1 kg body weight) were individually kept in separate pens with ad libitum feed and water. The lambs were randomly distributed to three treatments as follow: control, TMR diet only; T1, TMR with 1% zeolite daily; T2, TMR with 2% zeolite daily. The trial was lasted for 56 days. Four lambs from each treatment were slaughtered and tissue (liver, kidney, meat, and rumen tissues) and rumen fluid samples were collected. A significantly (P < 0.05) high concentration of Fe was found in T2 in blood and rumen fluid samples of lambs supplemented with zeolite. In the meat tissue, significantly (P < 0.05) high concentration of Zn was found in the treatment groups compared with the control, while Cu concentration decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in T1. In addition, rumen dark color was reduced in the zeolite-supplemented groups. We concluded that supplementation of zeolite at the rate of 1 or 2% did not appear to have any adverse effects on the blood profile of trace elements. Moreover, under these two levels of zeolite, discoloration of the rumen was significantly reduced in response to the supplementation of zeolite.

Effect of Palm Kernel Meal and Malic Acid on Rumen Characteristics of Growing Naemi Lambs Fed Total Mixed Ration

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of malic acid and 20% palm kernel meal (PKM) on ruminal characteristics. A total of 32 growing lambs were randomly distributed into control (barley and alfalfa ha), total mixed ration (T1), TMR + 20% PKM (T2), TMR + PKC 20% + 4 mL/day malic acids (T3). Lambs were fed these diets ad libitum for 84 days. The results showed that propionic acid in the rumen fluid increased significantly (p < 0.05) in T1 and T3. Lactic acid concentration of rumen fluid increased significantly (p < 0.05) in T2 while the pH increased significantly. The coloration of rumen and reticulum was improved in T3. In addition, most of the histomorphological features were higher in T3 and T2. We concluded that the addition of malic acid supplementation to lambs fed PKC caused a significant improvement in the rumen pH and decreased lactic acid concentration in growing Naemi lambs.

Characteristics of rumen in Naemi lamb: Morphological changes in response to altered feeding regimen

This study sought to chart the ontogenesis of rumen in Naemi lambs through histomorphometeric evaluation subjected to alfalfa hay in total mixed rations (TMR). A total of 40 growing healthy Naemi male lambs (28.85±1.09kg), at weaning (90±3days) was randomly distributed into four groups. One group was fed on TMR (control) only, while others were supplemented with restricted amount of alfalfa hay at the rate of 100g per day (T1), 200g once per two days (T2) and 300g once per three days (T3) in addition to ad libitum TMR. The results indicated that body weight and dry matter intake increased significantly in treated groups. Significantly higher (P<0.05) pH was recorded in all the treated groups after 8h of feeding. Similarly, the brightness (L*), redness (a*) and yellowness ((b*) of rumen was significantly higher (P<0.05) in treated groups. The papillary length, width and surface area of rumen were significantly (P<0.05) high in alfalfa supplemented groups. Iron (Fe) concentration in rumen tissue decreased significantly (P<0.05) in treated groups. We concluded that a dietary plan based on ad libitum TMR with the addition of alfalfa at the rate of aforementioned protocol not only enhanced feed intake and growth rate of the growing Naemi lambs but also improved the structural characteristics of the rumen.

Factors influencing growth of rumen, liver, and other organs in kids weaned from milk replacers to solid foods

From pooled data of many feeding trials with kids fed various types of solid foods from 37 days of age and slaughtered thereafter, relationships between such independent variables as age, cumulative intake of solid food, weight gain, and/or final body weight and such dependent variables as weights and such dependent variables as weights of stomach-compartments, heart, liver, kidneys, and spleen were analyzed. Growth of forestomachs, and especially rumen mucosa, relative to body weight was stimulated only in feeding periods of solid foods. Gain, intake of solid food, and final body weight were the best predictors for growth of forestomach-compartments, liver, and heart, respectively. Correlations were large between ruminoreticulum weight and liver weight and among weights of forestomach-compartments. Second degree polynomials were fitted to predict the curvilinear relationships between solid-food intake and either ruminoreticulum weight or rumen mucosal weight, and a linear equation was fitted to predict the relationship between solid-food intake and liver weight. Feeding of roughage increased rumen muscular and omasal weights. Growth of the rumen under stimulation of solid-food intake may be regulated by the same biological factors contributing to increased growth rate of the whole animal. In this situation, growth of the rumen may be correlated closely with growth of the liver.