NON-THERAPEUTIC METHODS FOR ALLEVIATING OR REDUCING STRESS SYMPTOMS OF RUMINANTS

Abstract

Methods are disclosed for the reduction of stress in ruminants in need thereof by administering propanediol mononitrate or chloroform or a composition which includes propanediol mononitrate or chloroform to a ruminant prior to experiencing stress, while experiencing stress and/or after having experienced stress.

Claims

1. A method for the non-therapeutic alleviation or prophylaxis of the symptoms of stress in ruminants, said method including administering propanediol mononitrate or chloroform or a composition comprising propanediol mononitrate or chloroform to a ruminant prior to experiencing stress, while experiencing stress and/or after having experienced stress.

2. The method according to claim 1, encompassing the consecutive steps of a.) assessing a present or future stress situation for a ruminant and b.) administering to the ruminant in need thereof an effective amount of propanediol mononitrate or chloroform.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the stress situation is exposure to heat, poor ventilation, overcrowding, transportation, slaughtering as well as pests, preferably exposure to heat, transportation and/or slaughtering.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the symptoms of stress are selected from lethargy, decrease in or lack of appetite, an elevated or increased respiratory rate, dehydration and/or an elevated heart rate.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composition is administered for an effective period of time prior to the ruminant experiencing stress, while the ruminant is experiencing stress and/or after the ruminant has experienced stress.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the effective period of time is at least 1 day, at least 3 days, or from one day to 200 days.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the methane inhibitor administered to the ruminant is selected in the range of in an amount of 0.5 to 5 g methane inhibitor/animal/day.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composition is a powderous formulation comprising the propanediol mononitrate or chloroform and a carrier material.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the carrier material is silicone dioxide.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ruminant is selected from the group consisting of domestic cattle, sheep and goat.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the domestic cattle is selected from the group consisting of dairy cows and beef cattle.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the propanediol mononitrate or chloroform or the composition comprising propanediol mononitrate or chloroform is administered to beef cattle before transportation and/or slaughtering.

13. The method according to claim 12, comprising the step of starting the administration of propanediol mononitrate or chloroform or the composition comprising propanediol mononitrate or chloroform at least 1 day, preferably at least 5 days, more preferably at least 10 days prior to transportation and/or slaughtering.

Description

EXPERIMENTAL PART

[0053] Eight fistulated Brahman steers (Bos indicus) were randomly allocated to two groups (4 animals per group) and received a forage ad libitum diet (Rhode grass hay (Chloris gayana), chemical composition: DM, 917 g/kg fresh matter; in g/kg of DM: OM, 806; CP, 169; NDF, 661; ADF, 359; ADL, 46; ash, 116 and GE 17.38 MJ/kg). The treatments used were chloroform fixed in cyclodextrin (reference) and propanediol mononitrate (10% purity on silicon dioxide). Animals were adapted to the diet over a 21 d period. After that initial period, experimental animals were placed into individual pens in an animal house for the measurement of intakes (10 d) and were treated with cyclodextrin (2 g/100 kg LW) and molasses (60 mL/d). On the last 2 days animals were placed into open-circuit respiration chambers for collection of rumen samples. Following the initial adaption/control period one group of animals received the chloroform+60 mL of molasses during 21 days (1.6 g choloroform-CD/100 kg LW) and the second group received the propanediol mononitrate treatment during 21 days (2.5 g propanediol mononitrate/animal/day). propanediol mononitrate was provided to the animals mixed with molasses (60 mL/day, molasses were previously diluted in water: 1:4 water:molasses) and mixed with the hay at three different times: 0 h, 3 h and 5 h after the feed was offered. propanediol mononitrate group was treated with comparative amounts of cyclodextrin as the chloroform group during the experiment. On days 20 and 21 of treatment both groups were placed in open-circuit respiration chambers for rumen fluid collection.

[0054] Rumen fluid samples (approx. 60 mL per animal) were collected using a probe with 2 layers of cheesecloth through the cannula of the animal at 3 h post feeding, during confinement in respiration chambers to determine rumen metabolites. The metabolites were quantified using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy in the NMR facilities of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience and of the Queensland NMR Network (QNN) at the University of Queensland in

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Effects of PDMN on rumen metabolites compared with control period (μmol/L rumen fluid). Metabolite Control PDMN SEM.sup.a P-value Dimethylsulfone 20 113 3.84 0.001 .sup.aSEM, standard error of the mean

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Effects of chloroform on rumen metabolites compared with control period (μmol/L rumen fluid) Control Chloroform SEM.sup.a P-value Dimethylsulfone 21 80 3.85 0.007 .sup.aSEM, standard error of the mean

[0055] As can be retrieved, the treatment with the methane inhibitors propanediol mononitrate and chloroform lead to a statistically significant increase of the methyl donor, while propanediol mononitrate is particularly effective.