Effect of Alpha-lipoic Acid on Productive Parameters and Ruminal VFA Profile in Sheep

Aims: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on feed over the productive parameters of sheep, as well as volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the rumen and blood glucose.

Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted at the Centro de Enseñanza, Investigación y Extensión en Producción Animal del Altiplano (CEIEPAA), located in Tequisquiapan, Querétaro-México.

Methodology: A total of 64 sheep (Pelibuey x Dorset), two months old (32 males and 32 females with an average weight of 20.7 ± 1.3 kg) were used. Animals were housed in 16 pens, 4 animals per pen, and each pen was assigned to one of the 4 ALA inclusion treatments (0, 40, 80, 120 ppm). ALA was mixed with 50 g of ground corn to ensure its consumption; the animals of treatment 0 also received 50 g of ground corn without ALA.

Results: Differences in weight gain were observed from day 56 in the animals supplemented with 80 ppm of ALA (P < .0001) and an improvement in daily weight gain (246 g) and feed conversion (P = .05) was shown. Animals treated with 40 ppm of ALA observed lower blood glucose without affecting the productive parameters (P = .05). A lower concentration of VFA was found in the treatment 120 ppm on day 84 (334.2 ± 26.5 vs 260.0 ± 15.7; P = .05).

Conclusion: The inclusion of 80 ppm of ALA in the diet of sheep could improve the productive parameters.