Bone mineralization status of indigenous goats in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Selected bone tissues from the ribs and distal metacarpals of thirty clinically healthy indigenous small East African goats in Chinamora communal lands, Zimbabwe, were examined histologically, histomorphometrically and chemically for mineralization, and compared to corresponding tissues from six goats receiving commercial supplementary feed. Histological examination showed longer and wider seams of unmineralized bone (osteoid) covering the trabeculae in communal land goats. The volume of osteoid as a percent of total area in the ribs (2.42 versus 0.60) and metacarpals (3.21 versus 0.80), the percentage osteoid of the total volume of bone in the ribs (10.03 versus 2.85) and metacarpals (6.13 versus 2.96), and the percentage of trabecular surface covered with osteoid seams in the ribs (51.55 versus 27.88) and metacarpals (49.31 versus 15.55) were all higher ( P < 0.001) in communal land goats than in control goats. The indigenous Zimbabwean goats also had lower calcium ( P < 0.001) in the rib (5.17 versus 5.63) and metacarpal bone (5.92 versus 6.23 mmol g bone −1) and lower phosphorus amount ( P < 0.05) in the rib (3.22 versus 3.33) as determined by chemical analysis. These findings indicate that in clinically healthy indigenous Zimbabwean goats bone mineralization is disturbed severely, involving a low amount of phosphorus.