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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Influence of zeolite (clinoptilolite) supplementation on characteristics of digestion and ruminal fermentation of steers fed a steam-flaked corn-based finishing diet

J. D. Urías-Estrada A , M. A. López-Soto A , A. Barreras A , J. A. Aguilar-Hernández A , V. M. González-Vizcarra A , A. Estrada-Angulo B , R. A. Zinn C , G. D. Mendoza D and A. Plascencia A E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Km 4.5 carretera Mexicali-San Felipe, CP 21386, Mexicali, Baja California, México.

B Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Blvd San Ángel s/n; Fraccionamiento San Benito 80246, Culiacán, Sinaloa, México.

C Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.

D Departamento de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco, Calzada del Hueso 1100 Colonia Villa Quietud Delegación Coyoacán 04960, DF, México.

E Corresponding author. Email: alejandro.plascencia@uabc.edu.mx; aplas_99@yahoo.com

Animal Production Science 58(7) 1239-1245 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN16128
Submitted: 1 March 2016  Accepted: 3 December 2016   Published: 22 February 2017

Abstract

Four Holstein steers (328 ± 14 kg) with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to examine the effect of level of zeolite supplementation (0, 10, 20 or 30 g clinoptilolite-Ca/kg of diet) in a steam-flaked corn-based finishing diet on the characteristics of ruminal fermentation and nutrient digestion. Zeolite was top-dressed with the basal diet at time of feeding; therefore, intake of organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), starch and N was equal in all treatments. Zeolite supplementation did not affect site and extent of digestion of N or NDF. Zeolite linearly decreased (P < 0.01) NH3-N flow to duodenum, but did not affect duodenal flow of microbial N, feed N, or microbial efficiency. Inclusion of zeolite linearly increased (P = 0.02) ruminal OM digestion and tended (linear, P = 0.08) to increase ruminal digestion of starch. Zeolite supplementation increased (linear effect, P < 0.01) faecal excretion of ash, resulting in decreased total tract DM digestion (linear effect, P = 0.04). However, total tract digestion of OM tended to increase (P = 0.06) with increasing zeolite supplementation. Thus, dilution of the diet with zeolite did not depress dietary digestible energy. There were no treatment effects on ruminal pH. Total ruminal volatile fatty acid concentration tended (P = 0.08) to increase as zeolite increased. Zeolite supplementation decreased ruminal molar proportion of acetate and increased molar proportion of propionate (linear effect, P < 0.01), resulting in decreased (linear effect, P < 0.01) of acetate: propionate ratio. Supplementation with zeolite at levels of up to 30 g of zeolite/kg of diet may enhance ruminal OM digestion, largely due to the tendency of increased ruminal starch digestion. Zeolite supplementation altered ruminal volatile fatty acid molar proportions (decreased acetate : propionate ratio), and therefore may have an positive impact on energy efficiency.

Additional keywords: cattle, feedlot ration.


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