Production, characterization, and dietary supplementation effect of rumen-protected fat on ruminal function and blood parameters of sheep.

Rumen-protected fat (RPF) was produced in the 1st experimental stage through melt-emulsification technique using buriti oil (BO) as core, at concentrations of 10% (BO10), 20% (BO20), and 30% (BO30) (w/w), and carnauba wax (CW) as encapsulant material. After obtention and characterization, protected fat microspheres were tested in a 2nd experimental stage on the sheep' diet using six castrated 2-year-old male Santa Ines with initial weight 48.9 ± 5.23 kg, fistulated in rumen and distributed in a double Latin square design with 3 treatments × 3 periods, to evaluate rumen pH, temperature, protozoal count, and blood parameters. There was no difference (P > 0.05) among RPF microspheres for microencapsulation yield. However, microencapsulation efficiency increased (P < 0.05) with BO addition ranging from 36 to 61.3% for BO10 and BO30, respectively. The inclusion of BO10 in the sheep's diet did not affect the ruminal dry matter degradability (DMD) of BO over time (P > 0.05); however, BO20 and BO30 had higher (P < 0.05) DMD values than BO10. No significant differences were observed among RPF for rumen pH and temperature (P > 0.05). There was an increase (P < 0.05) in the protozoal population in the rumen environment due to the microencapsulated BO30 inclusion. There was also increase (P < 0.05) in serum albumin, cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), and a reduction (P < 0.05) in serum triglycerides of the sheep when RPF microspheres increased in the diet. Melt-emulsification proved to be a good technique for microencapsulation of buriti oil into the carnauba wax matrix. RPF from buriti oil protected into carnauba wax is recommended for sheep diet because it increases energy density, without adverse effects on the protozoal populations and blood serum metabolites from the bypass effect in the rumen.

Physicochemical Composition and Fatty Acid Profile of Goat Kids' Meat Fed Ground-Corn-Grain Silage Rehydrated with Different Additives.

The effects of the replacement of dry ground corn (GC) with corn-grain silage rehydrated with water (RCSwater), cactus pear mucilage (RCSmucilage), and whey (RCSwhey) on the growth, physicochemical composition, and fatty acid profile of goat kids' meat were investigated. Thirty-two crossbred goat kids (16.4 ± 2.50 kg initial weight) were assigned in a randomized block design with four treatments and eight repetitions. The NDF intake of goat kids fed with RCSmucilage was higher in comparison to RCSwater and RCSwhey (p = 0.0009). The dietary replacement of GC by RCSmucilage increased the final weight (p = 0.033) and meat-cooking losses (p = 0.0001) of kids. The concentrations of oleic (p = 0.046), 11,14-eicosadienoic (p = 0.033), and EPA (p = 0.010) were higher in the meat of kids fed with RCSmucilage and RCSwhey, and the α-linolenic concentration was higher (p = 0.019) for animals feeding with RCSmucilage. Meat from kids fed with RCSwhey presented the lowest ∑SFA and the highest ∑MUFA. In contrast, the ∑PUFA (p < 0.012) was higher for goats fed with RCSwater. The ∑ω3 (p < 0.0001) was higher in animals fed with RCSmucilage and RCSwhey. Desirable fatty acids were higher (p = 0.044) in animals fed with RCSmucilage and RCSwhey, and the atherogenicity (p = 0.044) and thrombogenicity (p < 0.0001) indexes were lower for goats fed the RCSwhey diet. The enzymatic activities of Δ9desaturase (C16) were higher (p = 0.027) in goat kids fed with GC and RCSmucilage, and Δ9desaturase (C18) was higher (p = 0.0497) when goats were fed with RCSmucilage and RCSwhey. Elongase activities were higher (p = 0.045) in goat kids fed with GC and RCSwater. The total replacement of GC by RCSmucilage is recommended in the diet of goat kids due to improvements in the weight gain and proportion of desirable fatty acids in the meat. In addition, RCSmucilage promoted better conservation of the silage at a lower cost when compared to commercial additives.

Resposta imunológica em caprinos vacinados contra agalaxia contagiosa / Immune response in goats vaccinated against contagious agalactia

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a eficiência de duas vacinas inativadas contra agalaxia contagiosa contendo adjuvante oleoso e aquoso. Para tanto, foram utilizados 73 caprinos, agrupados em dois experimentos. No experimento I, para avaliar a inocuidade das vacinas, foram utilizados 15 caprinos, subdivididos em três grupos de cinco animais cada, sendo que o grupo A1 foi imunizado com a vacina aquosa, o grupo B1 com a vacina oleosa e o grupo C não imunizado, foi o controle. No experimento II, para avaliar a resposta imune foram utilizados 58 caprinos, subdivididos em dois grupos, sendo o grupo A2, com 28 animais imunizados com a vacina aquosa e o grupo B2, com 30 animais imunizados com a vacina oleosa. Os animais do experimento II receberam uma terceira dose, 180 dias após a segunda dose vacinal. Os níveis de anticorpos foram determinados por ELISA indireto, realizado no dia de cada vacinação e 30 dias após a segunda dose (experimento I) e 30 dias após a terceira dose vacinal (experimento II). Os animais do grupo B1 e B2 (vacina oleosa) apresentaram níveis de anticorpos estatisticamente superiores (P<0,05) quando comparados aos dos grupos A1 e A2 (vacina aquosa) nos dois experimentos.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of two inactivated vaccines against contagious agalactia containing adjuvant oily and watery. For this, 73 goats were divided in two experiments. In the experiment I was verified the vaccine safety and 15 goats were divided into three experimental groups of five animals each. A1 and B1 groups were immunized with vaccine containing either aluminum or oil, respectively, and group C was the control group without immunization. In the experiment II, the immune response against the vaccines was evaluated by immunization of 58 goats that were divided in to two groups: group A2, 28 animals were immunized with the aluminum based vaccine; and group B2, 30 animals were immunized with the oil based vaccine. In the experiment II, the animals received a third dose on 180 day after the second dose. Antibody levels were determined by indirect ELISA from ssamples collected on vaccination days and on 30 day after the second dose (Experiment I) and on 30 day after the third dose (Experiment II). The animals from B1 and B2 groups (oil based vaccine) demonstrated higher antibody levels (P<0.05) than A1 and A2 (aluminum based vaccine) in both experiments.