Abstract
Simple SummaryWe evaluated the potential supplementation effect of protein enriched Opuntia cladodes, the flat leaf-like steam of cactus species (PEO), upon changes of blood metabolites, estrus induction, estrus latency, and ovulation rate in anestrous goats exposed to sexually active males. We observed that PEO positively influenced reproductive outcomes without changes in blood metabolites. Our results highlight the importance that bio-fortified Opuntia cladodes supplementation exerts on anestrous goats exposed to the male effect as an option to improve not only the out-of-season reproductive efficiency of goats but to enhance the sustainability of marginal, extensive and semi-arid goat production systems.The effect of protein enriched Opuntia cladodes supplementation upon changes of serum total protein, urea, cholesterol, glucose as related to estrus induction (EI%), estrus latency (EL, h), and ovulation rate (OR, units) in adult anestrous goats exposed to the male effect was evaluated. In late April, anestrus goats (n = 45, 25° N) homogeneous regarding live weight (LE; 43.8 ± 1.6 kg) and body condition score (BCS; 2.3 ± 0.1 units) were randomly assigned to: (1). Protein-enriched Opuntia (PEO; n = 15; 29.8% CP, 2.2 Mcal ME kg−1), (2). Non-enriched Opuntia (NEO; n = 15; 6.4% CP, 2.1 Mcal ME kg−1), and (3). Control (CON; n = 15). NEO and PEO goats were individually supplemented with cladodes (160 g d−1; 0900–1000 h), thereafter all groups grazed in a marginal rangeland (1000–1800 h). Neither LW (p > 0.05) nor BCS (p > 0.05) differed among groups, yet an increased (p < 0.05) EI % (100, 57, 42 ± 0.16%), EL h (62, 60, 32 ± 4.2 h), and OR (1.33, 0.71, 0.43 ± 0.23 units) occurred in PEO and NEO vs. CONT, respectively. However, neither blood metabolites differed among groups nor a treatment x time interaction occurred. Peri-breeding protein enriched Opuntia cladodes supplementation of anestrous goats exposed to active males increased (p < 0.01) reproductive outcomes during the non-breeding season.
Highlights
Worldwide, arid and semi-arid lands besides those characterized by scarce water availability, drought, overgrazing, and poor quality soils, while being linked to vulnerable human livelihoods, they concentrate an important percentage of the goat inventory [1,2]
Simple Summary: We evaluated the potential supplementation effect of protein enriched Opuntia cladodes, the flat leaf-like steam of cactus species (PEO), upon changes of blood metabolites, estrus induction, estrus latency, and ovulation rate in anestrous goats exposed to sexually active males
According to our working hypothesis, the three central queries we pursued to answer in this study were: (1) Does the Opuntia targeted supplementation induce the estrus response of anestrous goats exposed to the male effect during the natural non-breeding season? (2) Does the Opuntia targeted supplementation promote a differential serum concentration of selected blood analytes in such anestrous goats? (3) Does the Opuntia targeted supplementation promote a differential ovarian response regarding estrus latency and ovulation rate of those previously anestrous once exposed to the male effect? With respect to the first question, our results prove that the Protein enriched Opuntia (PEO) experimental group depicted
Summary
Arid and semi-arid lands besides those characterized by scarce water availability, drought, overgrazing, and poor quality soils, while being linked to vulnerable human livelihoods, they concentrate an important percentage of the goat inventory [1,2] Such a scenario of limited biotic and economic resources in the dry-lands generates conditions prone to the establishment of highly susceptible goat production systems that are greatly dependent on communal rangelands with limited productivity [1,3]. Despite this complex scenario, goats survive but even flourish under such compromised environments; they show remarkable physiological plasticity, adaptation capacity, reproductive performance, and productive longevity, contributing in a significant fashion to the sustainability of goat producers under marginal production schemes [1,4]. While increases up to 12.8% in CP have been reported throughout a protein-enrichment of Opuntia cladodes process with Aspergillus niger [14], other CP upturns from 4% to 30% [15], while significant increases in CP (i.e., 400%; 260 g/kg dry matter) was reported when cladodes were exposed to a fermentation process with Saccharomyces cerevisiae [16]
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