Effects of flavonoids extracted from Citrus aurantium on performance, eating and animal behavior, rumen health, and carcass quality in Holstein bulls fed high-concentrate diets

Abstract

Feed Science and Technology © Elsevier after peer review. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2018.08.010 FLAVONOIDS AND RUMEN HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE 1 2 Effects of flavonoids extracted from Citrus aurantium on performance, eating and 3 animal behavior, rumen health, and carcass quality in Holstein bulls fed high-4 concentrate diets. 5 6 MABSTRACT 22The effects of flavonoids extracted from Citrus aurantium (Bioflavex® CA) on eating 23 pattern, performance, carcass quality, and rumen wall health of Holstein bulls fed on a 24 single feeder were studied. One hundred ninety-eight bulls (195.3 ± 19.6 kg of body 25 weight and 149 ± 6.8 d of age) were used in a complete block randomized design. 26 Groups of animals with the same mean and coefficient of variation of body weight 27(replicates) were randomly allocated in 1 of 6 pens (20 animals per pen), and each 28 pen was assigned to one of 6 pens and assigned to a Control (C) diet or to a diet 29 supplemented with flavonoids (Bioflavex® CA, Interquim S.L., Spain) (BF, 0.4 kg 30 per ton of concentrate of Bioflavex® CA) in two consecutive fattening cycles. 31Concentrate intake was recorded daily, and BW fortnightly. Animal behavior was 32 monitored by visual scan procedure every fourteen days. Animals were slaughtered after 33 168 d of study, hot carcass weight and carcass quality were recorded, and internal 34 rumen wall was examined. Concentrate intake was higher (P < 0.05) in C than in BF 35 bulls; however, ADG and concentrate efficiency were not affected by treatments. The 36 final BW tended (P = 0.06) to be higher in C than in BF bulls, but this difference 37 disappeared for carcass weight. In the finishing phase, the proportion of meal size 38 values above 750 g was higher (P < 0.05) in C compared with BF bulls. Throughout the 39 study exhibited more displacements and fighting than C bulls, whilst C bulls performed 40 more (P < 0.05) oral behaviors. During the finishing phase, sexual behaviors such as 41 flehmen and complete mounts were higher (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively) in C 42 bulls as well, and C bulls tended (P = 0.10) to perform more attempted mounts 43 compared with BF bulls. In the slaughterhouse, color of rumen wall tended (P = 0.06) 44 to be lighter for BF compared with C bulls, and presence of baldness areas in the rumen 45 was lesser (P = 0.01) in BF animals. In conclusion, when bulls were supplemented with 46 3 Bioflavex® CA, feed intake was reduced. Flavonoids supplementation increased time 47 eating straw, reduced agonistic behaviors throughout the study and sexual interactions 48 during the finishing phase, potentially improving animal welfare. Rumen wall 49 parameters analyzed were indicative of a better rumen health in BF than in C bulls, 50 which maybe due to the reduction of large meal sizes. 51

Citrus aurantium flavonoid extract improves concentrate efficiency, animal behavior, and reduces rumen inflammation of Holstein bulls fed high-concentrate diets

“…Supplementation with citrus flavonoids reduced agonistic behaviors throughout the fattening period, and sexual interactions during the finishing phase in past studies (Paniagua et al, 2018). The mechanisms whereby citrus flavonoids may modulate eating and animal behavior are unknown.…”

“…Flavonoids are polyphenols that have been deeply studied, and Citrus fruits are considered the major source of flavonoids, containing a wide range of these phytochemicals. Recently, Paniagua et al (2018) studied in Holstein bulls fed highconcentrate diet the effect of an extract from bitter orange (Citrus aurantium) rich in naringin during the growing and finishing phase. Bulls supplemented with citrus flavonoid extract modified their eating pattern, by reducing large meal sizes (>750 g/ meal) and spending more time eating straw, and rumen wall health parameters analyzed were improved.…”

The effects of hesperidin or naringin dietary supplementation on the milk properties of dairy ewes

“…In accordance with previous results, no effect of an extract of plant flavonoids (Bioflavex; 300 mg kg −1 ) on feed intake of heifers consuming high-concentrate diets was observed. 8 On the other hand, Paniagua et al 10 found a significant decrease in the daily concentrate intake of Holstein bulls fed a diet supplemented with flavonoids extracted from Citrus aurantium (Bioflavex; 0.4 g kg −1 ) over a period of 112 days. However, even in this experiment this difference disappeared in the last 8 weeks of the experiment.…”

“…an increase in lactate‐consuming bacteria and the depression of methanogenic archaea communities. The average daily gain and feed conversion ratio were not significantly influenced after the addition of Bioflavex in the diets of heifers at the level of 0.3 g kg −1 and bulls at the level of 0.4 g kg −1 . However, the nature of each plant secondary metabolite and the diet composition (e.g., forage to concentrate ratio, ingredients used in the ration, tropical versus temperate forages) appeared to influence the efficacy of their in vivo application on the examined parameters of dairy cows .…”

“…feed conversion ratio were not significantly influenced after the addition of Bioflavex in the diets of heifers at the level of 0.3 g kg −18 and bulls at the level of 0.4 g kg −1 . 10 However, the nature of each plant secondary metabolite and the diet composition (e.g., forage to concentrate ratio, ingredients used in the ration, tropical versus temperate forages) appeared to influence the efficacy of their in vivo application on the examined parameters of dairy cows. 11 Multiple interactions between the above parameters, the period of supplementation, hygienic standards, and environmental conditions determine the final effects on rumen methanogenesis, milk yield, and composition.…”