hamidreza taghian

The particle size and physical form of fat supplements are effective factors in the digestibility of nutrients, fatty acids, and some blood parameters in dairy cows. This research aims to investigate the effect of a feeding fat supplement containing an additive (lecithin or bile powder) with the physical form of flake or granule on the apparent digestibility of nutrients and some blood parameters in Holstein dairy cows. 48 lactating cows were used during two experimental periods in a 2x3x2 completely randomized factorial design and randomly grouped into 6 experimental treatments: 1. Control diet + 2.5% granulated fat supplement, 2. Control diet + 2.5% granulated fat supplement containing 5% lecithin 3. Control diet + 2.5% granulated fat supplement containing 5% bile powder 4. Control diet + 2.5% Flaked fat supplement 5. Control diet + 2.5% Flaked fat supplement containing 5% lecithin and 6. Control diet + 2.5% Flaked fat supplement containing 5% bile powder. All the experimental diets were balanced according to the recommendations of the National Research Association. All data were analyzed by statistical software. The digestibility of the ether extract, total fatty acids, 16 and 18-carbon fatty acids, as well as the plasma concentration of NEFA, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL, and VLDL were increased in the treatments containing the additives (P ≥ 0.05). The addition of emulsifying ingredients to the fat supplement of the high-production dairy cow diet may have positive effects on the digestibility of some nutrients and lipid metabolism.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of different sources of zinc on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of semen and blood testosterone in Mahabadi mature bucks. Twenty-four mature male goats (40 ± 0.86 kg), approximately 1-1.5 years old, were divided into three groups (n = 8) and assigned to experimental treatments for 56 days in a completely randomized design. The treatments included: 1) control (a basal diet containing 22.14 mg/kg zinc without zinc supplement), 2) basal diet + 35 mg/kg Zn4 as ZnSO4 (an inorganic source of Zn), and 3) basal diet + 35 mg/kg Zn as ZnMet (an organic source of Zn). Qualitative (ejaculate volume, sperm concentration) and quantitative (viability, membrane integrity, morphology, and CASA detected parameters) properties of semen and plasma testosterone and Zn, Cu, and Fe concentrations were evaluated. Results showed that ZnMet vs. ZnSO4 increased sperm membrane integrity and plasma Zn concentration and reduced morphologically abnormal spermatozoa (P≤0.05), but there were no significant differences in other parameters. Viability, membrane integrity, morphology, some of the CASA detected parameters (total motility, straight-line velocity, average path velocity, beat cross frequency of sperm), and the plasma concentration of testosterone in zinc-supplemented groups was significantly higher than the control group. In conclusion, the positive effects of an organic source of Zn were seen in reducing abnormal spermatozoa and improving membrane integrity, plasma Zn concentration, and plasma testosterone concentration.