Effect of oral administration of Agave americana or Quillaja saponaria extracts on digestion and growth of Barbarine female lamb.

摘要

Agave aloe (Agave americana) leaves are high in saponins (ca. 80 g Eq. diosgenin/kg dry matter). We hypothesised that saponins in Agave extract could improve feed efficiency, thus increasing lamb growth. A 60-day feeding trial followed by a digestibility trial was conducted on five equal groups (n=6) of 5-6-month-old Barbarine female lambs (initial BW 23.1+or-4.3 kg). All animals received oaten hay ad libitum and 400 g concentrate and each group was randomly assigned to one of the following five treatments. A control group was not drenched with extracts but groups AE120, AE240 and AE360 were drenched with Agave extract (AE) containing 120, 240 and 360 mg saponins/kg DM intake, respectively. The fifth group was drenched with Quillaja saponaria (QS) solution containing 120 mg saponins/kg DM intake (QS120). Administration of AE and QS had no effect (P