METABOLIC AND REPRODUCTIVE RESPONSES OF EGYPTIAN BUFFALOES TO DIETARY CHROMIUM AND NIACIN SUPPLEMENTATION | ||
| Veterinary Medical Journal (Giza) | ||
| Volume 52, Issue 1, January 2004 PDF (3.31 M) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/vmjg.2004.369281 | ||
| Authors | ||
| N KHALED* 1; K EL-SHAHAT2 | ||
| 1Department of Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition, Fac, of Vet. Med. Cairo Univ. | ||
| 2Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary medicine, Cairo University. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| An 80- days trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplemental inorganic chromium (Cr) with or without niacin on performance, blood metabolites and reproduction of Egyptian buffaloes. A total of 18 healthy buffalo heifers was randomly allotted into 3 equal groups: The first group served as control and was fed the basal diet without supplementation, heifers in the second group were fed the basal diet plus 0.75 mg inorganic Cr/ kg diet. Heifers in the third group were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.75 mg inorganic Cr/ kg diet plus niacin (6 g/head/ day). All Heifers had free access to feed and were weighed at the onset and end of the experimental period after 24 h fasting and 16 h for water deprivation. Criteria used to measure the response were serum concentrations of glucose, cholesterol, total lipids, total protein, albumin, urea, calcium, inorganic phosphorus, ALT, AST and ALP enzymes. Moreover, serum progesterone concentration as well as fertility parameters were measured. Results indicated that chromium with or without niacin supplementations decreased (p<0.05) serum glucose compared to control group (67.56, 68.45 vs.79.17 mg. dl-1, respectively) and increased (p<0.01) serum cholesterol (85.00, 85.63 vs. 66.25 mgl.dl-1, respectively). However, Chromium with or without niacin had. no effect on nitrogen metabolism, minerals and serum enzyme activities. Meanwhile, dietary Cr with or without niacin additions significantly im- proved (p<0.01), the pregnancy rates of heifers. while, serum progesterone concentration was elevated during the first and second month of experiment. The obtained results suggest that both chromium and niacin can be used as dietary supplements for buffaloes to improve their productive and reproductive performance. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Buffaloes; Chromium; niacin; performance; blood metabolites; fertility; progesterone | ||
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