Supplementation with rumen-protected proteins induces resistance to Haemonchus contortus in goats

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 9; no. 1; p. 1237
• Main Authors: Cériac, S., Archimède, H., Feuillet, D., Félicité, Y., Giorgi, M., Bambou, J.-C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 04-02-2019; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/250/254; 631/443; Animal genetics; Diet; Egg production; Eggs; Feed additives; Genetics; Haemonchus contortus; Hay; Humanities and Social Sciences; Immunoglobulin A; Intestine; Life Sciences; multidisciplinary; Nematodes; Parasites; Pest resistance; Proteins; Rumen; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); iga activity; parasite resistance; teladorsagia-circumcincta; sheep; genetic-control; immune-response
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37800-3

Resistance to gastro-intestinal nematode (GIN) in small ruminant is expected to arise from protein-rich rather than from energy-rich feeds. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the quality of the dietary proteins on the response of Creole goats to
Haemonchus contortus
. Three diets were compared: no supplementation (Hay: hay
ad libitum
), Control supplement (CS: hay
ad libitum
+2% BW of CS at 70 g of by-pass proteins/kg) and supplement enriched in rumen-protected proteins (RPP: hay
ad libitum
+2% BW of RPP at 139 g of by-pass proteins/kg). The FEC (faecal eggs counts) and the TFEC (total faecal eggs excreted/day) were significantly lower in the RPP. No difference was found between the supplemented diets for the total number of nematodes, but the RPP reduced the parasite prolificacy. The highest IgA responses were observed in animals with the highest nematode burden (Hay compared with CS diets). However, while the FEC and the TFEC were lower in animals feed with the RPP the IgA response were similar to those of the Hay. The IgA response that control GIN egg production in sheep could be one mediator of the resistance to
H. contortus
induced with by-pass proteins in goats.