Effect of Supplemental Chromium on Performance, Carcass Composition, and Metabolic Responses in Fattening Lambs
2005
Zare Shahneh, Ahmad | Ghorbani, Gholam Reza | Mirhadi, Ahmad | Monem, Manuchehr | Amini, Fereydun | PaPi, Nader
Regarding to the effects of chromium (Cr) supplements on regulation of carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolisms and on improvement of carcass composition, present study was conducted to evaluate effects of different levels of dietary Cr supplements from chromium nicotinate (CrNic) or from chromium chloride (CrCl3) on perfomance, carcass characteristics, and metabolic responses in fattening lambs. Seventy fat-tailed ram lambs of Shal breed with 5-6 month ages and 38.0 ± 2.8 kg average initial weight were assigned to seven pelleted diets based on barley grain (12.2 % crude protein) supplemented with 0 (control), 200, 600 or 1000 μg/kg of Cr from CrNic and 200, 600 or 1000 μg/kg of Cr from CrCl3 in a completely randomized design. The lambs received the diets individually and ad libitum during 14 wk. In every 3 wk, body weights were recorded and blood samples were collected after 16 h feed deprivation. Intravenous glucose tolerance test was conducted at wk 13. Data were analyzed by methods of analysis of covariance and orthgonal contrast. Chromium supplements had no significant effect on average daily gain, daily dry matter intake and feed efficiency. Addition of Cr supplements increased fat depth over 12th rib (P=0.04), but did not affect slaughtering live weight, dressing percentage, eye muscle area, liver and kidney weights, percentages or weights of carcass dissected muscle, fat, and bone, and percentages of muscle protein and lipid. Within the CrNic levels, the 1000 μg/kg level of Cr increased eye muscle area (P=0.02), weight of carcass dissected muscle (P=0.04), and weight of protein in dissected muscle (P=0.03), and the 200 μg/kg level of Cr increased kidney weight and decreased internal fat weight (P=0.02). Addition of supplemental Cr had no significant effect on fasting plasma concentrations of glucose, total cholestrol, triacylglycerol, total protein, and urea nitrogen but, compared to CrCl3, CrNic decreased plasma concentration of total protein (P=0.03). Use of Cr supplements increased glucose clearance rate at min 15-45 (P=0.04) and decreased glucose half life at min 15-30 (P=0.02) and min 15-45 (P=0.004). The results of this study indicated that chromium as an organically complexed form of chromium nicotinate may be useful for improving glucose tolerance and increasing carcass muscle yeild in Shal fattening lambs.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by Agricultural Research and Education Organization