The effect of palm oil addition to the diet of dairy sheep on the immune response

Effects of Diets Containing Finger Millet Straw and Corn Straw on Growth Performance, Plasma Metabolites, Immune Capacity, and Carcass Traits in Fattening Lambs

As the byproduct of finger millet, millet straw is a new forage resource of ruminants. The effect of the combined utilization of millet straw with corn straw on fattening lamb production is seldom reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different proportions of millet straw instead of corn straw on the growth performance, blood metabolites, immune response, meat yield, and quality of fattening lamb. Sixty-three-month-old healthy Small-Tailed Han sheep crossbred rams with an average initial weight of 19.28 ± 2.95 kg were randomly divided into four groups, with three replicates in each group and five lambs in each replicate. The replacement ratio of millet straw of each group (Group I, II, III, IV) was 0%, 25%, 35%, 50% at the first stage (the first two months) and 0%, 20%, 28%, 40% in the second period (final two months), respectively. The experiment lasted 4 months 10 days of the pre-feeding period. The results indicated that the body weight gain and average daily gain of group Ⅱ were significantly higher than those of group Ⅰ and group Ⅳ (p < 0.05). The concentration of total protein in group Ⅳ was significantly increased compared to those of the other three groups at the second stage (p < 0.05), which proved that the protein synthesis metabolism capacity was improved with the addition of millet straw. The concentration of the plasma glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase and lactic dehydrogenase of lambs was significantly decreased in group Ⅱ (p < 0.05). The combination of millet straw and corn straw had no impact on the glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides metabolism (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the pre-slaughter weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage, loin-eye area, and GR value among the four groups (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the immune response and meat quality were not impacted by the different proportions of millet and corn forage diets. The results showed that the combined utilization of millet straw with corn straw could improve the blood biochemistry metabolism capability of fattening lambs. The replacement of 50% of corn straw with millet straw could improve the growth performance and be an application in fattening lamb production.

Study on the influence of palm oil on blood and liver biochemical parameters, beta-carotene and tocochromanols content as well as antioxidant activity in rats

In the ongoing discussion on the health properties of palm oil, a study of the effect a diet supplemented with palm oil on blood and liver biochemical parameters, beta-carotene and tocochromanols content as well as antioxidant activity was undertaken. Forty Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups, fed with a diet supplemented with plant-based frying commercial fat, palm oil, 7.5% palm oil and 2.5% concentrate from palm oil and 10% of rapeseed oil, respectively. After 21 days, blood samples and livers were collected to determine beta-carotene and tocochromanols concentrations, antioxidant activity using DPPH* radical scavenging activity and TEAC methods, insulin, glucagon, serum triacyloglycerols and cholesterol levels, glucose in blood serum and glycogen in the livers. Research has shown valuable biological properties of palm oil in terms of plasma glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triacylglycerol concentrations which was related to the high content of beta-carotene and tocochromanols. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Public concern over the health properties of palm oil has been growing. Therefore, this study supplements existing knowledge in this area based on experimental rat observations. In the presented research, plasma glucose was significantly reduced and no additional growth of total or LDL cholesterol, as well as triacylglycerol concentration, was observed after consuming a palm oil-based diet. Palm oil was a good source of beta-carotene and tocochromanols, which were preferentially distributed in rats' livers. Bioavailability of vitamin E-active compounds in palm oil supplemented rats' livers was relatively high as compared to the rapeseed oil group, therefore this observation complements literature in the field of tocotrienols and tocopherols. Studies have not confirmed the harmful effect of palm oil on rats, however in depth human studies appear to be a promising direction for further research.