Effect of adding rumen modifiers (malate and maltodextrin) on performance parameters, fermented products and blood metabolites on male Sheep fattening

The high levels of concentrate are used for increase gaining in fattening Sheep. This can be caused Acidosis, Liver abscess and Bloat which produce some problems. Using of rumen modifiers can help to prevent of this disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of malat (Rumalato), maltodextrin and mixture malate-maltodextrin on Sheep performance parameters, Rumen fermentable products and blood metabolites of lambs fed high-concentrate growing diets.

For this purpose, 48 Shall lambs (46.1± 4.1 kg body weight) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with 12 lambs per treatment for 30 days. The treatment groups were as follows: 1) control: basal diet without any additive, 2) basal diet plus 30 gr maltodextin, 3) basal diet plus 15 gr malate (Rumalato) and; 4) basal diet mixture of 15 gr malate plus 30 gr maltodextrin. Dry matter intake, Body weight gain, Rumen fluid was collected 3-5 hours after morning feeding. Rumen parameters were measured for pH and volatile fatty acid at the end of the experiment. Blood sampling was collected before morning feeding. Blood parameters were defined at the end of experiment for Glucose, Albumin, Cholesterol and Blood urea nitrogen.

Dry matter intake was higher (p < 0.05) in lambs fed maltodextrin (1.86 kg/d) and mixture malate-maltodextrin (1.87 kg/d) than in lambs fed control (1.79 kg/d) or malate diet (1.80 kg/d) (P=0.03). Body weight gain and feed conversion ratio had not significant difference at the end of experiment (P>0.05). But average body weight gain showed tended to increase in lambs fed malate-maltodextrin. The blood glucose was significant between treatments and it was 79 mg/dl in lambs fed maltodextrin and 78 mg/dl in malate-maltodextrin compared to control (63.8 mg/dl) and malate (65 mg/dl) (P=0.04). Other blood parameters had not different. Among of rumen parameters, pH tended to increase in the lambs fed maltodextrin and malate-maltodexrtin compared to other treatments but without significant difference (7.1 and 6.9 to 6.8)(P>0.05). Other rumen fluid parameters such as volatile fatty acids had not significant difference between treatments.

Totally, results of this study showed that adding of maltodextrin and mixture malate-maltodextrin can be improved dry matter intake in fattening sheep and this is effective for body weight gain and feed conversion ratio. However rumen modifiers are effective to rumen pH and prevention of low pH and caused balance in production of rumen fermentable products.