Title
Ruminal effects of excessive dietary sulphur in feedlot cattle
Date Issued
01 September 2022
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Castro D.J.
Cerón-Cucchi M.E.
Depetris G.J.
Irazoqui J.M.
Amadio A.F.
Cravero S.
Cantón G.J.
Institute of Pathobiology (IPVet)
Publisher(s)
John Wiley and Sons Inc
Abstract
Sulphur (S) dietary excess can limit productive performance and increase polioencephalomalacia (PEM) incidence in feedlot cattle (FC). Sulphur excess ingested is transformed to hydrogen sulphide (H2S) by sulfo-reducing ruminal bacteria (SRB), being high ruminal H2S concentration responsible for aforementioned damages. As the ruminal mechanisms involved in H2S concentrations increase have not been elucidated, this study aimed to evaluate the ruminal environment, and the association between ruminal H2S and dissimilatory SRB (DSRB) concentration in FC experimentally subjected to S dietary excess. Twelve crossbred steers were randomly assigned to one of two dietary S levels (6 animals per treatment): low (LS, 0.19% S) and high (HS, 0.39% S obtained by sodium sulfate inclusion at 0.86%). The study lasted 38 days, and on days 0, 22 and 38, ruminal gas samples were taken to quantify H2S concentration, and ruminal fluid to determine total bacteria, DSRB, protozoa, volatile fatty acid and ammonia nitrogen concentration. For ruminal H2S concentration, S dietary × sampling day interaction was significant (p < 0.001), so that the greater concentration was observed on days 22 and 38 with the HS diet. The remaining ruminal parameters were not affected by dietary S level, and no significant correlation between H2S and DSRB concentrations was observed. The ruminal adaptation that maximizes H2S production in FC consuming S excess does not seem to be associated with biological or biochemical alterations, nor DSRB concentration changes. The microbial diversity and ruminal environment were resilient to the S excess evaluated, suggesting that 0.39% of dietary S achieved by 0.86% sodium sulfate addition, could be used without disturbances on digestion nor health of FC.
Start page
978
End page
987
Volume
106
Issue
5
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Zoología, Ornitología, Entomología, ciencias biológicas del comportamiento
Ciencia animal, Ciencia de productos lácteos
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85117958283
PubMed ID
Source
Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition
ISSN of the container
09312439
Sponsor(s)
This study was performed in accordance with international recommendations specified in the guidelines for the use and care of experimental animals. All the animal procedures used in this study were approved by the Committee for Use and Care of Experimental Animals (Protocol CICUAE/098-2016) of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), Argentina. The authors confirm that the ethical policies of the journal, as noted on the journal's author guidelines page, have been adhered to and the appropriate ethical review committee approval has been received. The authors confirm that they have followed EU standards for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus