Effects of dietary supplementation with green tea polyphenols on digestion and meat quality in lambs infected with Haemonchus contortus

• Published in: Meat science 2015-07, Vol.105, p.1-7
• Main Authors: Zhong, R.Z., Li, H.Y., Fang, Y., Sun, H.X., Zhou, D.W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acids - analysis; Amino Acids - blood; Animals; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Antioxidants - adverse effects; Antioxidants - analysis; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Camellia sinensis - chemistry; China; Diet - adverse effects; Diet - veterinary; Digestion; Feces - chemistry; Feces - parasitology; Food Handling; Food Quality; Haemonchiasis - diet therapy; Haemonchiasis - metabolism; Haemonchiasis - parasitology; Haemonchiasis - veterinary; Haemonchus - isolation & purification; Haemonchus contortus; Lamb; Male; Meat - analysis; Meat - parasitology; Meat quality; Muscle, Skeletal - chemistry; Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism; Pigments, Biological - analysis; Pigments, Biological - metabolism; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Polyphenols - administration & dosage; Polyphenols - adverse effects; Polyphenols - therapeutic use; Sheep; Sheep Diseases - blood; Sheep Diseases - diet therapy; Sheep Diseases - metabolism; Sheep Diseases - parasitology; Sheep, Domestic; Tea - chemistry; Tea polyphenols; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances - analysis; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances - metabolism
• ISSN: 0309-1740; 1873-4138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2015.02.003

Ujumqin sheep are susceptible to infection by the gastrointestinal nematode Haemonchus contortus, which reduces productivity and total meat yield in sheep. Thus, the effects of green tea polyphenol (GTP) supplements (0, 2, 4, or 6g of GTP/kg feed) on dietary nutrient digestibility and meat quality in lambs infected with H. contortus were examined; control lambs were not infected. H. contortus infections did not affect digestion but the apparent digestibilities of nutrients were decreased by dietary 2g of GTP/kg feed supplementation. There was an interaction between treatment and sampling time on plasma total protein, urea nitrogen, and amino acid concentrations. The antioxidant activity and meat color of INFGTP0 lambs decreased. In conclusion, H. contortus infections in lambs decreased meat quality, but appropriate levels of dietary GTP supplementation diminished these negative effects though lower dose of GTP supplement showed negative effects on digestion.