Uso do barbatimão (Stryphnodendron rotundifolium) como aditivo na alimentação de cordeiros em confinamento

Abstract

Natural additives rich in bioactive compounds can be used as alternatives to ionophores to feed ruminants to achieve the market requirements of products free of chemical residues. The objective was to study the characteristics of barbatimão and its potential effects on the ruminants’ production through a literature review (Chapter I). Chapter I was based on the search for a survey of public domain literature. The results showed that the biological compounds present in barbatimão have great potential to be used in the ruminants’ production. For chapter II, the metabolic parameters, performance, and carcass characteristics of Pantaneiro lambs were evaluated, with an average age of 150 ± 4.59 days and an initial body weight of 21.2 ± 3.63 kg, distributed in randomized blocks in three experimental diets. : LAS (0.019 g of Lasalocida sodium / animal / day); CBS (1.5 g of dry and ground barbatimão bark / animal / day); EHB (0.3 g of dry barbatimão hydroalcoholic extract / animal / day). There was no effect (P = 0.32) with the inclusion of the CBS (189.2 ± 24.48 g) and EHB (198.4 ± 51.74) extracts compared to the LAS (221.8 ± 24.41), for the average daily gain. The feed conversion was not influenced (P = 0.09) by the extracts, with an average of 4.46 ± 0.87 for all treatments. The inclusion of CBS and EHB in the lambs' diets decreased by 0.6 points (P <0.05) in the finishing score scale. The EHB decreased (P <0.05) 0.9, 0.85, and 2.35 points of the meat tonality on yellow intensity, chroma, and angle, respectively. The animals that consumed the CBS and EHB reduced (P = 0.04) by 15.8 mg/dl in the level of total cholesterol. We concluded that the use of the bark of barbatimão in the tested doses in substitution to the Lasalocida sodium diet of confined lambs could be used without prejudice to the productive performance and metabolic parameters. Chapter III assessed the effect of barbatião extracts on ruminal parameters, intake, ingestive behavior, and digestibility of lambs' nutrients. Food intake was not affected by the extracts in g/day. EHB increased the time (59.74 min/day) spent ingesting, reducing efficiency by 127 g DM/h. The rumination efficiency and the number of chews per day were not affected by the CBS and EHB extracts. The digestibility of nutrients was not affected by the extracts of barbatimão in the animals' diet. The extracts did not influence the ruminal pH of the lambs. However, there was a reduction of 1.8 mg/dL in the rumen ammoniacal nitrogen concentration. When included in the lambs' diet, CBS reduced 48.9% of total AGV, compared to the LAS treatment. Butyrate content decreased by 12.05% with the inclusion of barbatimão extracts (CBS and EHB). Based on the results, barbatimão can be used to replace Lasalocida sodium in the diet of confined lambs without compromising on intake, ingestive behavior, and digestibility, despite changes in rumen fermentation.