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Could soybean meal supplementation with crude extract of pistachio hulls change the blood metabolites of Holstein male bulls?
An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of soybean meal (SBM) supplementation with crude extract of pistachio hulls (CEP) on blood metabolites of Holstein bulls. CEP were extracted from hulls of pistachio containing 7.13% total tannin /DM of extract. Twenty-eight bulls 256±63kg (mean ±SEM) were assigned randomly to one of the four treatment groups with seven replicates in a completely randomized design for 94 days. The bulls were housed in individual tie stalls and had free access to water. They were fed twice daily at 08:00 and 17:00 h. Four iso-energetic and iso-nitrogenous diets were offered to the experimental animals . Treatments included: (1); control (SBM without CEP) (2); SBM with 5% CEP (3); SBM with 10% CEP and (4); SBM treated with 15% (kg CEP /100kg DM SBM). Blood samples were taken from each bull at end of each month prior to morning feeding via coccygeal venipuncture and immediately chilled. According to results, Plasma total protein and albumin concentration was greater (P=0.001) for bulls fed SBM with 15% CEP compared with other levels and Control. Plasma Glucose, BUN and Triglycerides concentrations were not affected by treatments (P>0.05). Probably, in this experiment tannin able to reduce protein degradation in the rumen by formation tannin-protein complex and bypass them to the small intestine and increase digestive utilization of dietary protein is the reason for increase Plasma albumin and total protein concentration (P<0.001) in bulls. It was therefore concluded that CEP could be used as chemical additives for improving the digestive utilization of protein-rich feeds in Holstein bulls.
Keywords: Blood metabolites, Pistachios hulls, Tannin