title: Influence of Quaternary Benzophenantridine and Protopine Alkaloids on Growth Performance, Dietary Energy, Carcass Traits, Visceral Mass, and Rumen Health in Finishing Ewes under Conditions of Severe Temperature-humidity Index.
abstract: Twenty Pelibuey×Katahdin ewes (35±2.3 kg) were used to determine the effects of the consumption of standardized plant extract containing a mixture of quaternary benzophenanthridine alkaloids and protopine alkaloids (QBA+PA) on growth performance, dietary energetics, visceral mass, and ruminal epithelial health in heat-stressed ewes fed with a high-energy corn-based diet. The basal diet (13.9% crude protein and 2.09 Mcal of net energy [NE] of maintenance/kg of dry matter) contained 49.7% starch and 15.3% neutral detergent fiber. Source of QBA+PA was Sangrovit RS (SANG) which contains 3 g of quaternary benzophenathridine and protopine alkaloids per kg of product. Treatments consisted of a daily consumption of 0 or 0.5 g SANG/ewe. Ewes were grouped by weight and assigned to 10 pens (5 pens/treatment), with two ewes per pen. The experimental period lasted 70 days. The mean temperature humidity index during the course of this experiment was 81.7±1.0 (severe heat stress). There were no treatment effects on water intake. Dry matter intake was not affected (p = 0.70) by treatments, but the group fed SANG had a numerically (11.2%) higher gain in comparison to the control group, SANG improved gain efficiency (8.3%, p = 0.04), dietary NE (5.2%, p<0.01) and the observed-to-expected NE (5.9%, p<0.01). Supplemental SANG did not affect (p≥0.12) carcass characteristics, chemical composition of shoulder, and organ weights (g/kg empty body weight) of stomach complex, intestines, and heart/lung. Supplemental SANG decreased liver weight (10.3%, p = 0.02) and increased visceral fat (16.9%, p = 0.02). Rumen epithelium of ewes fed SANG had lower scores for cellular dropsical degeneration (2.08 vs 2.34, p = 0.02), parakeratosis (1.30 vs 1.82, p = 0.03) and neutrophil infiltration (2.08 vs 2.86, p = 0.05) than controls. It is concluded that SANG supplementation helped ameliorate the negative effects of severe heat on growth performance of feedlot ewes fed high-energy corn-based diets. Improvement in energetic efficiency may have been mediated, in part, by anti-inflammatory effects of supplemental SANG and corresponding enhancement of nutrient uptake.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary and Animal Science School, University Autonomous of Sinaloa, Culiacán 80260, Sinaloa, México.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Estrada-Angulo
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Veterinary Sciences, University Autonomous of Baja California, Mexicali 21100, México.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguilar-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Veterinary and Animal Science School, University Autonomous of Sinaloa, Culiacán 80260, Sinaloa, México.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osuna-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Veterinary Sciences, University Autonomous of Baja California, Mexicali 21100, México.
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Núñez-Benítez
authors.affiliation: Veterinary and Animal Science School, University Autonomous of Sinaloa, Culiacán 80260, Sinaloa, México.
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Castro-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Veterinary and Animal Science School, University Autonomous of Sinaloa, Culiacán 80260, Sinaloa, México.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Silva-Hidalgo
authors.affiliation: Veterinary and Animal Science School, University Autonomous of Sinaloa, Culiacán 80260, Sinaloa, México.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Contreras-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Veterinary Sciences, University Autonomous of Baja California, Mexicali 21100, México.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barreras
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Veterinary Sciences, University Autonomous of Baja California, Mexicali 21100, México.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plascencia
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Zinn
keywords: Feed Efficiency; Heat Stress; High-energy Diets; Isoquinoline Alkaloids; Ruminal Epithelial; Small Ruminants