trace mineral

 Suboptimal levels of kid survival are the largest contributor to reproductive wastage in goat flocks. This results in substantial loss of production, producer, and industry income, and is increasingly being perceived as poor animal welfare. Improving kid survival is therefore a priority for the industry. Nutrient provision during gestation not only affects maternal status and reproductive performance but also affects prenatal and postnatal offspring growth and health. Although trace minerals (TM) are needed by the body in small amounts, they are essential nutrients for several metabolic functions such as growth, development, reproduction, and immunity. Furthermore, newborn animals are dependent upon their dams for the transfer of these nutrients via the placenta and the mammary gland. The antibodies obtained from colostrum are the only defense mechanism against environmental factors in neonatal ruminants. Inadequate nutrition of the dam, immune system suppression, and stress factors may lead to the production of low-quality colostrum. Management and feeding of high-quality colostrum can reduce kid mortality, strengthen immunity, and increase animal life span. Nutrition affects the development of the mammary gland, the onset of lactogenesis, and colostrum production, either by affecting some of the hormones that control these processes or by contributing nutrients that are in demand at this stage of pregnancy. Selenium plays an important role in preventing impaired function of the immune response. Copper deficiency has been shown to result in lowered bactericidal activities of blood leukocytes in ruminant animals. Zinc sufficiency has also been linked to proper immune functions. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of TM injection in late pregnancy on colostrum quality and plasma metabolites of Lori does and their kids.
Thirty Lori mature does with an average body weight of 40 kg and an age of 2-3 years were used. One month before the expected kidding, animals were divided into two groups (n=15 does/group) and randomly assigned to experimental treatments. Experimental treatments were no injection of trace minerals (Control; C) and injection of 1 mL of TM at four and two weeks before expected kidding. Blood samples were taken through the jugular vein. Each mL of TM solution contained 2.5 mg of Cu, 1.25 mg of Se, 5 mg of Mn, and 5 mg of Zn. All does were kept in similar nutritional and managerial conditions from mating to one month before kidding.
Results showed that plasma concentrations of glucose and total cholesterol (TC) tended to be higher and lower in the TM group at day 7 before kidding, respectively (P=0.06). Experimental treatments did not affect plasma triglyceride (TG), Ca, and Mg concentrations, and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity of does at day 7 before kidding (P>0.05). Whereas, TM injection before mating decreased plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased total protein (TP), BRIX index (BI), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total antioxidant activity at day 7 before kidding (P<0.05). Colostrum of does received TM had a higher fat, protein, and BI content and a lower lactose content than the colostrum of the C group (P<0.05). Plasma concentrations of glucose and MDA were lower in kids born from does received TM than those born from the C group (P<0.05). Experimental treatments did not affect plasma concentrations of TC, Ca, and Mg concentrations in kids (P>0.05). Kids born from does received TM had higher plasma concentrations of TG, TP, BI and SOD, GPX, and total antioxidant activity than those of the C group (P<0.05).
According to the results of the present experiment, injection of a TM solution containing Cu, Zn, Se, and Mn four and two weeks before birth increased the concentrations of TP and BI as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPX) and antioxidant capacity and reduced MDA concentration in Lori goat plasma. This improved the quality of colostrum produced by these does. Kids born from does receiving trace minerals had higher plasma concentrations of TP, BI, and activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPX), higher total antioxidant capacity, and lower concentrations of MDA compared to the C group. Therefore, this strategy may have beneficial effects on the health, viability, and performance of kids before weaning.

Dietary supplementation of trace minerals (zinc, copper and manganese) has positive effects on various aspects of reproductive performance of farm animals and it has a strong antioxidant effect on sperm function. Also, feeding with trace minerals affects the functional structure of sperm cells and increases the quality of sperm for cryopreservation because it may lead to cell damage, production of reactive oxygen species and reducing the antioxidant capacity of seminal plasma. The objective of this study was to investigate whether dietary supplementation of zinc, copper and manganese affected on sperm motion characteristics, percentage of viability, sperm membrane integrity after thawing, and flow cytometry tests including apoptosis, hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen. Ten mature Afshari rams were all fed a nutritionally adequate diet for 70 days, from the end of September to the beginning of December. Half of the rams were randomly designated to receive dietary supplementation with a sulfate source of zinc, copper and manganese once daily for 70 days, starting 1 week after the study began. All ejaculates were diluted with a Tris-based cryoprotective extender. The extended semen was subsequently loaded into 0. 5 mL plastic straws and then they were frozen by the bio-freezer machine. One week after freezing, three straws of each ram were thawed and evaluated for sperm motion characteristics by computer-assisted-semen-analysis system, hypoosmotic swelling test and live sperm percentage. In addition, we examined hydrogen peroxide, molecular oxygen and apoptosis in frozen sperm. Proc Mixed was used for analysis of repeated measures data. Motion characteristics, percentage of sperm viability and sperm membrane integrity after thawing in the Supplemented group was relatively stable and significantly higher than in the Control group from day 28 onwards (P<0/05). At the end of this research, the levels of hydrogen peroxide, molecular oxygen, early apoptosis, late apoptosis and necrosis in the control group were significantly higher than the Supplemented group (P<0/05). The average number of live sperm in the Supplement group increased slightly at the end of the research period outside the breeding season, but it was not significant compared to the beginning of the period, but this rate at the end of the period was significantly higher than that of the Control group (P<0/05). The results showed that the simultaneous supplementation of zinc, copper and manganese elements, even after the reproductive season, can have beneficial effects on the quality and freezing ability of sperm after thawing and prevent the creation of reactive oxygen species and the occurrence of apoptosis.

We used 263 Holstein repeat breeder dairy cows (193±58 DIM) based on randomized complete design. Animals in control group (no supplementation), groups 2 and 3 supplemented with 2,244 mg of zinc, 295.5 mg copper and 480 mg manganese either inorganic trace minerals (ITM) and chelated (glycinates) trace minerals (CTM) sources, respectively. Supplemental minerals were fed daily as a top dress. All cows were inseminated according to Double-Ovsynch protocol. Super oxide dismutase concentration tended to have higher in CTM and ITM treatments than in control group (P=0.09). Progesterone concentration at day 11 after artificial insemination was higher in CTM and ITM treatments than in control group (P<0.05). Cows in CTM and ITM treatments tended to have greater odds of becoming pregnant at first and cumulative (first and second service) than cows in control group (P=0.1 and P=0.13 respectively). According to the results of this study, diets supplemented above National Research Council (NRC, 2001) requirments for zinc, copper and manganese in repeat breeding cows, improved fertility.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mineral supplementation and chelates of trace elements on production, milk composition and blood parameters of lactating Holstein cows. Lactating Holstein cows (n=24) were randomly assigned to one of the following four treatments; 1) the basic diet include inorganic trace minerals (C), 2) 55 mg of iron, 125 mg of copper, 360 mg of zinc, 3.5 mg of chromium, 200 mg of manganese, 2 mg of selenium and 12 mg of cobalt with daily feeding of 7 g of Bonzaplex7 chelated mineral supplement (B), 3) the same amount of zinc, manganese, copper and cobalt was supplied with 7 gr of organic trace mineral supplement Availa4 (A), 4) feeding 7 gr of Availa 4 plus 3.5 gr of Availa-Cr, 2 gr of Availa-Se, 1gr of Availa-Fe (A+3). This study lasted 35 days. Daily feed intake and milk production (3X) were recorded. In spite of more numerical increase in milk yield in treatment B, no effect was observed on the production of milk, milk composition, dry matter intake and rumen metabolites. Plasma glucose concentration in treatments tended to decrease (P=0.07). Plasma triglyceride concentration decreased significantly in treatments (A), (B), (A+3) compared to group (C), present results could be related to increase bioavailability of trace minerals in chelated form specially chromium and copper in present study.