ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the productive performance, apparent digestibility, and carcass and longissimus dorsi muscle characteristics of lambs fed diets supplemented with four levels of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Thirty-two male Hampshire lambs (25.82±1.95 kg body weight) were distributed in four treatments: basal diet (20:80, forage:concentrate), and the inclusion of 0, 3, 5, and 10 g animal−1 d−1Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The variables evaluated were dry matter intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion, apparent digestibility, dorsal fat thickness, longissimus dorsi muscle area, and physicochemical characteristics of carcass and muscle. We used a completely randomized design and orthogonal polynomials to test the linear and quadratic effects of the inclusion levels of the yeast. Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed a quadratic effect on lamb performance. Dry matter intake decreased with yeast in response to a better feed conversion and body weight gain; however, at the highest Saccharomyces cerevisiae dose, daily weight gain and final weight were lower than with the basal diet treatment. Saccharomyces cerevisiae did not affect apparent digestibility or carcass and muscle physicochemical characteristics. Supplementation with 3 and 5 g d−1 Saccharomyces cerevisiae improves productive performance of lambs fed high concentrate diets without affecting the physicochemical characteristics of the carcass or muscle.

ABSTRACT An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of an herbal choline feed plant additive on the productive parameters and blood metabolites of finishing lambs. Forty male Hampshire × Suffolk lambs (initial body weight of 30.36±3.75 kg) were assigned according to a completely randomized design. Treatments consisted of dietary inclusion of the herbal additive BioCholine at 0, 3, 6, and 9 g/kg dry matter for 56 days. A linear response for herbal choline dose was observed for daily gain, final body weight, feed conversion, blood glucose, and blood phosphatidylcholine as herbal choline level was increased in the diet. Total protein, globulins, and low-density lipoproteins showed a quadratic effect, and there were no effects on intake, Longissimus dorsi area, back fat, blood cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins, or albumins. The inclusion of the herbal choline feed plant additive improved daily gain and feed efficiency of finishing lambs. The choline feed plant additive is a source that can be used to meet choline requirements in small ruminants, as demonstrated by blood phosphatidylcholine and lamb performance.

Saturated fatty acids (FA) in the carcass of ruminants represent a critical topic in human alimentation given by their relationship with cardiovascular diseases. In view of this, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sc) represents an alternative to modify the meat FA profile by increasing the ratio of deposited unsaturated FA, because of its high levels of unsaturated fatty acids. An experiment was carried out using 30 commercial growing lambs (20 ± 0.9 kg LW), distributed into three groups with 10 animals each, which was placed into one of three evaluated treatments: 0, 3, and 5g Sc animal-1 d-1, in order to determine the productive performance of the animals, plasmatic cholesterol levels, and FA deposited in the carcass. A totally random design was used. Data were analyzed using the PROC GLM, considering ten repetitions per treatment. Mean comparison of the treatments was done through the Tukey test. The results show that adding 3g animal-1 d-1 Sc partially decreased (p < 0.05) DM intake and food conversion in the evaluated periods without affecting (P > 0.05) daily weight gain. It also did not affect (p > 0.05) muscle area of the Longissimus dorsi, fat thickness and total cholesterol in the blood. As the Sc dose increased, the levels of myristic, palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids decreased (p < 0.05). Sc doesnt affect the animal performance, neither improvement the carcass unsaturated FA profile, however, saturated FA concentrations decreases.

Los ácidos grasos (AG) saturados depositados en la canal de rumiantes representan un punto crítico en la alimentación humana por su relación con enfermedades cardiovasculares. Ante esto, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sc) representa una alternativa para modificar el perfil de AG en la carne debido a sus elevados niveles de AG insaturados. Con este antecedente, se realizó un experimento utilizando 30 corderos comerciales en crecimiento (20 ± 0.9 kg PV), distribuidos en tres grupos de 10 animales cada uno, y cada grupo fue asignado a uno de tres tratamientos evaluados: 0, 3 y 5g de Sc animal-1 d-1, respectivamente, con el objetivo de determinar el comportamiento productivo del animal, niveles plasmáticos de colesterol y AG depositados en la canal. Se utilizó un diseño completamente al azar, los datos se analizaron usando PROC GLM, considerando diez repeticiones por tratamiento, y las medias de tratamientos se compararon con la prueba de Tukey. La adición de 3g animal-1 d-1 de Sc disminuyó (p < 0.05) parcialmente el consumo de MS y conversión alimenticia en los periodos evaluados, sin afectar (P > 0.05) la ganancia diaria de peso. Tampoco afectó (p > 0.05) el área del músculo Longissimus dorsi, espesor de grasa dorsal y colesterol total en sangre. Al incrementar la dosis de Sc, disminuyó (p < 0.05) el nivel de ácido mirístico, palmítico, oleico y linoleico. Se no afecta el comportamiento productivo del animal, tampoco mejora el perfil de AG insaturados en la canal; sin embargo, disminuye las concentraciones de AG saturados.