Effect of individual terpenes on consumption of alfalfa pellets by sheep.
We examined effects of individual terpenes on alfalfa pellet intake of lambs in five experiments. Forty-five lambs (nine lambs/treatment) were individually fed alfalfa pellets sprayed with either p-cymene, alpha-humulene, 1,8-cineole, 3-carene, or sabinene at one of five concentrations (one terpene per experiment). Treatments (0, .5, 1, 2, and 10x) were multiples of the concentration (x) of a specific terpene in tarbush that was related to differential herbivory by livestock in previous studies. Terpenes were applied to alfalfa pellets (.64 kg x lamb(-1) x d(-1), DM basis), and consumption was measured during a 20-min interval for 5 d. Lambs were adapted to handling and pen feeding for 10 d and were maintained and fed alfalfa pellets in one group (except during 20-min tests) at a mean total daily intake of 4.7% of BW (DM basis). None of the five compounds decreased alfalfa pellet consumption during the 20-min interval. These five mono- and sesquiterpenes do not seem to be responsible for differential herbivory of individual tarbush plants by livestock.
Estell
R E
RE
USDA/ARS Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM 88003-0003, USA. restell@nmsu.edu
Fredrickson
E L
EL
Anderson
D M
DM
Havstad
K M
KM
Remmenga
M D
MD
D000818:Animals; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000662:veterinary; D000455:Medicago sativa / Q000378:metabolism*; D012756:Sheep / Q000378:metabolism*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
D013729:Terpenes