52a Reunião Anual da Sociedade Brasileira de
Zootecnia
Zootecnia: Otimizando Recursos e Potencialidades
Belo Horizonte – MG, 19 a 23 de Julho de 2015
PARTITION OF ENERGY RELEASE ON CATTLE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT1
Flávia Alves Melo2, Flavio Perna Junior3, Diana Carolina Zapata Vasquez4, Eduardo Cuelar Orlandi Cassiano3,
Ricardo Galbiatti Sandoval Nogueira3, Lizbeth Loudes Collazos Paucar 3, Paulo Henrique Mazza Rodrigues5
1
Part of PhD thesis of Flavio Perna Junior, project supported by FAPESP and CAPES, Brazil
Animal Science Student – FZEA/USP. E-mail: [email protected]
PhD Student - Postgraduation Program in Animal Production and Nutrition – FMVZ/USP, Pirassununga, Brasil
4
Master's student - Postgraduation Program in Animal Production and Nutrition – FMVZ/USP, Pirassununga, Brasil
5
Associate Professor of University of São Paulo. E-mail: [email protected]
2
3
Resumo: A eficiência na utilização dos alimentos é um fator de extrema relevância para o aumento da produtividade
pecuária. Para isso, é importante analisar o metabolismo dos nutrientes, determinando o local de melhor
aproveitamento da energia, sendo que a utilização de aditivos pode potencializar a eficiência produtiva. Como a
energia é uma das bases para formulação de dietas para ruminantes, verifica-se a importância de estudos sobre o
metabolismo energético. Com isso, objetivou-se quantificar a proporção de energia liberada no rúmen, no intestino e
perdida nas fezes. Foram utilizadas seis vacas não gestantes e não lactantes, canuladas no rúmen, com peso vivo
médio de 784 ± 87 kg, distribuídas em um delineamento experimental quadrado latino 3x3 replicado, com três
tratamentos e três períodos de 21 dias. Os tratamentos foram: Controle (sem aditivo), Monensina (300
mg/animal/dia) e Tanino (100 g/animal/dia), baseados em dietas isoenergéticas e isoprotéicas. Constatou-se que a
utilização destes aditivos pode favorecer a liberação de energia no rúmen e tendeu a reduzir a liberação realizada no
intestino.
Palavras-chave: Energia, fezes, intestino, rumen, monensina e tanino,
Abstract: The efficient use of feed is a factor of extreme importance for increasing livestock productivity. Therefore,
it is important to examine the metabolism of nutrients, determining the best place of energy use, and the use of
additives can often maximize the production efficiency. As energy is one of the bases for the formulation of diets for
ruminants, it is important the studies on energy metabolism. Thus, this experiment aimed to quantify the proportion
of energy released in the rumen, in the intestine and lost at faeces. Six cows not pregnant and non-lactating, cannulated
in the rumen, with average weight of 784 ± 87 kg, were distributed in a replicated 3 x 3 Latin square design, with
three treatments and three periods of 21 days. The treatments were: Control (no additive), Monensin (300
mg/animal/day) and Tannin (100 g/animal/day), based on isoproteic and isoenergetic diets. It was found that the use
of these additives may favor the release of energy in the rumen and release tended to be decreased in the intestine.
Keywords: Energy, faeces, intestine, rumen, monensin and tannin
Introduction
The nutrition of ruminants, to be efficient, should not be based only on food consumption, but also the need to
meet the nutritional and energy requirements of animals. Thus, it is interesting to understand the metabolism of each
nutrient, determining their place of better use to then achieve greater productivity. As energy demand is one of the
bases for balancing diets for ruminants, it is necessary studies on energy metabolism. It is possible to divide the
energy released in three parts: 1) in the rumen, obtained from the microorganism fermentation, 2) in the intestine,
originating from digestion by enzymes, and 3) that lost in the faeces. The proportion of energy released at these
locations can be changed according to the food, the processing method to which it was submitted and also the use of
additives.
Most additives used in the ruminant diet have the ability to manipulate the rumen fermentation. There are
ingredients that can be extracted from different sources, possessing nutritional value or not, but somewhat benefits
animal metabolism. Monensin is an inhibitor of Gram-positive bacteria, thus favoring propionate production, while
tannin is a natural polyphenolic compound, which may have an effect on the emission of methane, as demonstrated
in several studies (Morais et al., 2011).
The change in the place of energy release has advantages and disadvantages. When energy release increases
in the intestine, the risks of acidosis reduces. According to Afonso et al. (2002), excessive intake of rapid fermentation
of carbohydrates can lead to rumen lactic acidosis. However, the energy released in the intestine will be used mainly
by tissues drained by hepatic portal system, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, spleen, mesenteric and omental fat
(Resende et al., 2011), diverting energy that would be used for growth or production, for maintenance of these tissues.
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52a Reunião Anual da Sociedade Brasileira de
Zootecnia
Zootecnia: Otimizando Recursos e Potencialidades
Belo Horizonte – MG, 19 a 23 de Julho de 2015
The objective was to check the inclusion effect of monensin and tannin in the release of energy in the rumen,
in the intestine and lost in faeces, in cattle fed diets with different additives.
Material and Methods
The trial was conducted at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo,
Brazil. Six ruminally cannulated dry cows were used, weighing 784 ± 87 kg, on average. Cows were housed in
individual stalls and assigned to one of the three experimental diets (isonergetic and isoproteic), according to the
additive used, as follows: Control (no additives); Monensin (addition of 300 mg of sodium monensin/animal/day);
Tannin (addition of 100 g tannin/animal/day - concentrate extract of condensed tannin obtained from Acacia-black
-Acacia mearnsii) with purity of 68% (0.4% of condensed of the diet). A twice-replicated 3x3 Latin square was used
as experimental design (n = 18 experimental units). Feed was offered twice daily at 8 AM and 4 PM as total mixed
ration with a roughage:concentrate ratio of 50:50.
Between the 5th and the 15th experimental day, the marker chromic oxide was administered. Between 5th to the
th
9 day was used to adapt to the marker and the last five (10th to 15th) for administration and fecal collection, according
to the methodology of Bateman (1970). The determination of the gross energy in faeces was performed according to
AOAC (1995). In the last six days of each period the dry matter intake was evaluated, through the difference between
the amount of food offered and the remnants of the next day. Samples were also made from feed used in diets for
gross energy analysis, according to AOAC (1995). This allowed the calculation of gross energy consumption.
On the 21st day of each period, the rumen content collections were made before, 3, 6, 9 and 12 hours after the
morning feeding in order to quantify the production of SCFA and CH4 using ex situ methodology (micro-rumen) with
determination by gas chromatography (Rodrigues et al., 2012). The ruminal solid volume obtained by rumen
evacuation technique was used for the extrapolation of actual production data.
Statistical analysis was performed with the aid of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS 9.3, 2012), observing
the normality of residuals by the Shapiro-Wilk test and the homogeneity of variances by Levene test. To compare
treatments it was performed orthogonal contrasts test in which the contrasts 1 was used to compare control treatment
with the others (control vs. tannin and monensin) and contrast two to compared monensin with tannin treatment.
Results were considered significant when probability values were equal and/or less than 5%.
Results and Discussion
The use of additives in the diet significantly increased the release of energy in the rumen, as acetate and
propionate. When compared to the control treatment with the others, the production of acetate in Mcal/animal/day
was higher for monensin and tannin (Table 1).
Comparing propionate production (in % GE) between the control treatment and the other was found that the
use of additives obtained higher value and contrasting the monensin and tannin treatments there was an increase for
the monensin treatment (Table 1). According to Morais et al. (2011), the selection of gram-negative for this ionophore
provides increased propionate production, which shows interesting because this is energetically the most efficient
SCFA. There was reduction trend in energy release in the intestine for treatments with additives compared to control,
but without statistical significance (Table 1). The increase of SCFA production in rumen is very interesting, being
that the main source of energy for these animals and their final product.
In relation to the total SCFA, there was a higher release of energy for treatments that had the inclusion of
additives compared to the control treatment (28.48 and 26.46 vs 21.44 based on Mcal/animal/day, 39.31 and 35.47
vs 28.20 as % of GE, 65.94 and 67.73 vs 52.41 as % of DE).
There was differences in energy loss in faeces (in Mcal/animal/day) between treatments tannin and monensin
(Table 1). Possibly this was due to the tannin complexation with protein, since, according to Morais et al. (2011),
diets with high tannin levels reduces the rumen degradability.
Conclusion
The use of the additives increased the release of energy in the rumen in form of SCFA and tended to reduce
its release in the intestine. This is very interesting in terms of productivity, since most of the energy used for
production by ruminants is obtained from SCFAs, while most of the energy is metabolized in the intestine for
maintenance of hepatic portal tissues.
References
AFONSO, J. A. B.; CIARLINI, P. C.; KUCHEMBUCK, M. R. G.; KOHAYAGAWA, A.; FELTRIN, L. P. Z.;
CIARLINI, L. D. R. P.; LAPOSY, C. B.; MENDONÇA, C. L.; TAKAHIRA, R. K. 2002. Metabolismo oxidativo
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52a Reunião Anual da Sociedade Brasileira de
Zootecnia
Zootecnia: Otimizando Recursos e Potencialidades
Belo Horizonte – MG, 19 a 23 de Julho de 2015
dos neutrófilos de ovinos tratados com monensina sódica e experimentalmente submetidos à acidose ruminal.
Pesq. Vet. Bras. 22:129-134.
AOAC - ASSOCIATION OF OFFICIAL ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY. 1995. Official methods of analyses. 16th.
ed. AOAC International, Washington.
BATEMAN, J. V. 1970. Nutrición animal: Manual de Métodos Analíticos. 1st ed. Herrero Hermanos, Sucessores, S.
A. México.
MORAIS, J. A. S.; BERCHIELLI, T. T.; REIS, R. A. 2011. Aditivos. p.565-599. In: Nutrição de Ruminantes. 2nd
ed. Funep, Jaboticabal.
RESENDE, K. T.; TEIXEIRA, I. A. M. A.; FERNANDES, M. H. M. R. Metabolismo de energia. 2011. p.323-344.
In: Nutrição de Ruminantes. 2nd ed. Funep, Jaboticabal.
RODRIGUES, P. H. M.; PINEDO, L. A.; SOLORZANO, L. A. R.; PERNA J. R. F.; MARTINS, M. F.; CASTRO,
A. L.; GODOY, G. L. A.; MARINO, C. T. 2012. Descrição da metodologia ex-situ de estudo da fermentação
ruminal (micro-rúmen) com vistas à mensuração da produção de metano. In: REUNIÃO ANUAL DA
SOCIEDADE BASILEIRA DE ZOOTECNIA, 49. 2012, Brasília. Anais... Brasília – DF.
Table 1. Estimate of energy release in the gastrointestinal tract of cattle fed with different additives
Treatment
Probability
Variables
Control
Monensin
Tannin
SEM
C1
C2
Consumed of GE
76.57
72.80
75.07
1.72
0.3724
0.5014
Energy release in the rumen
Acet.
GE Mcal/ani/day
% BE
% GE
9.99
13.19
24.52
13.11
18.08
30.35
13.33
17.77
33.93
0.68
0.94
1.72
0.0294
0.0213
0.0317
0.8815
0.8768
0.3205
Prop.
GE Mcal/ani/day
% GE
% DE
5.57
7.30
13.58
8.10
11.21
18.73
6.16
8.25
15.72
0.45
0.67
1.07
0.0731
0.0467
0.0816
0.0570
0.0382
0.1920
But.
GE Mcal/ani/day
% GE
% DE
5.89
7.72
14.31
7.26
10.02
16.87
7.08
9.45
18.08
0.38
0.52
0.97
0.1133
0.0748
0.1213
0.8270
0.6262
0.5812
Total
SCFC
GE Mcal/ani/day
% GE
% DE
21.44
28.20
52.41
28.48
39.31
65.94
26.56
35.47
67.73
1.38
1.98
3.43
0.0394
0.0292
0.0456
0.5217
0.3651
0.8064
CH4
GE Mcal/ani/day
% GE
% DE
2.95
3.86
7.11
2.71
3.72
6.26
2.73
3.69
7.07
0.09
0.10
0.23
0.2724
0.4878
0.2931
0.9130
0.8598
0.1132
1.72
2.14
3.49
0.0729
0.0714
0.0558
0.5908
0.4530
0.7291
Energy release in the intestine
GE Mcal/ani/day
% GE
% DE
17.51
22.67
40.48
12.33
16.65
27.80
10.40
13.27
25.20
Energy in the faeces
GE Mcal/ani/day
34.66
29.29
35.37
1.30
0.2950
0.0352
% GE
45.27
40.32
47.59
1.61
0.6710
0.0666
SEM: Standard error of mean. C1: Control vs. Monensin and Tannin. C2: Monensin vs. Tannin. GE:
Gross energy. DE: Digestible energy. Total SCFC: Total short-chain fatty acids.
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