Administration of biogenic amines to Saanen kids: effects on growth performance, meat quality and gut histology
Introduction
Biogenic amines are low molecular weight organic bases present in all organisms. The most common are putrescine, cadaverine, spermine, spermidine, histamine, tryptamine and β-phenylethylamine. The polyamines putrescine, spermine and spermidine are involved at multiple points of RNA, DNA and protein synthesis (Bardócz et al., 1995). In low concentrations, they are essential for the normal growth and differentiation of cells, but in larger quantities are harmful to humans and livestock.
Biogenic amines are naturally present in silage; however their presence in high concentrations may be a sign of undesirable changes in the fermented forage and has been linked to low feed intake in ruminants (Van Os et al., 1996, Van Os et al., 1997). Biogenic amines also occur in the rumen where they are produced by microbial flora during normal fermentation. Thus, ruminants receive these substances from both dietary and microbial sources and may therefore absorb greater amounts than non-ruminant species (Phuntsok et al., 1998). If animals receive poor quality silage their detoxification system may become saturated (Křı́žek, 1993). Specifically, if intestinal concentrations of these amines exceed the capacity of gut wall amine oxidizing enzymes, they will be absorbed causing stress to intermediary metabolism with detrimental effects on health and growth performance (Van Os et al., 1997). Young animals and weanlings are more sensitive to low quality forage than adults and the effects of poor forage on health and growth may be more marked than in older animals.
The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of biogenic amine administration on growth performance, meat quality and histological characteristics of visceral organs in Saanen kids, when administered at levels approximating those found in poor quality forage.
Section snippets
Animals and treatments
Fifteen weaned Saanen kids (age: 2 months and body weight (BW): 11.6±1.4 kg were randomly divided into three groups and placed in three m boxes (each box holding the five kids of each group) and left to adapt for 7 days. The animals were fed once daily in the morning with a mixture of triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) silage and goat concentrate. The chemical composition of the diet is reported in Table 1. During the 14-day experimental period that followed the adaptation period, the
Statistical analysis
The effects of the treatments on growth performance and meat quality were analyzed using the general linear model (GLM) ANOVA procedures of SAS statistical package (SAS, 1985).
Growth data were evaluated using a model that included the effect of biogenic amines treatments (oral dose and feed dose), and initial weight as covariate. Duncan’s multiple range test was used post hoc.
The effect of amine administration on meat quality (control versus oral dose group) was evaluated using a one-way
Growth
HPLC analysis of silage extract did not detect amines. In animals that received biogenic amines, DMI and growth were reduced over the experimental period compared to controls. Direct oral administration had a greater effect than mixing with feed (Table 3). After a week, the differences in DMI between the control (387 g S.E.M.), OD (336 g S.E.M.) and FD (385 g S.E.M.) groups were not significant. At the end of the second week, however, DMI was markedly reduced (−49%) (P<0.01) in the OD group, while
Conclusions
We have found that the administration of low doses of biogenic amines for 14 days has a negative influence on growth performance of weaned kids, slowing their growth rate and reducing DMI. These effects were more marked in animals given amines by direct oral administration, than in animals given the amines mixed with feed. These findings confirm that even low levels biogenic amines have adverse effects on growth performance and meat quality in young goats and emphasize the importance of a diet
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to acknowledge the Director of the University of Milan Experimental Farm “G.P. Guidobono Cavalchini”, Prof. G. Savoini for providing the facilities, A. Crotti and D. De Nisi for their help with the feedstuff and meat analyses, and D.C. Ward for help with the English.
Financial Support was provided by IZSLERPRC99005.
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