Effect of organic chromium supplementation on blood metabolites, lipid oxidation of longissimusdorsi muscle and tissue chromium in Mahabadi goat kids

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of chromium supplementation on performance, blood parameters, lipid oxidation of longissimusdorsi muscle (LDM) and tissue chromium in Mahabadi goat kids. Thirty-two male kids (average initial BW of 22 ± 2 kg, 4-5mo) were used in a completely randomized design with four treatments: 1) control (without Cr suppl.), 2) 0.5 mg Cr suppl., 3) 1 mg Cr suppl. and 4) 1.5 mg Cr suppl. as Cr-Met/animal/d. Diets were the same and experimental period was 94 days. Animals were kept in individual pens with self-mangers. Kids were weighed at 21 day intervals and slaughtered at the end of the trial. Dry matter intake and average daily gain were not affected by the chromium supplementation but, feed conversion ratio (FCR) improved in the 1.5 mg Cr/d. Maximum blood glucose concentration during an epinephrine challenge test decreased in the 1.5 mg Cr/d group. However, blood insulin and cortisol remained unaffected. TBARs values of the LDM significantly increased as their storage time increased from 1 to 2 months (P<0.05). It was also found that increasing dietary chromium supplementation, especially 1.5 mg Cr/animal/d, significantly decreased lipid oxidation and TBARs value of LDM after 2 months storage (P<0.05). On the first month of storage, dietary Cr supplement not significantly tended to decrease lipid oxidation of LDM (P<0.1). Chromium contents in plasma, liver, kidney and LDM increased significantly with the addition of Cr-Met in diet (P<0.05). The results of this experiment showed that supplemental Cr improved performance, decreased TBARs value of LDM and increased chromium contents in blood and tissues of Mahabadi goat kids.