Effect of Spirulina supplementation on plasma metabolites in crossbred and purebred Australian Merino lambs

Peer review under responsibility of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University.

Figures & data

Table 1 Nutrient composition of Spirulina and basal diet of ryegrass pasture and barley grain.

Chemical composition	Feed components			Unit
	Spirulina	Barley grain	Ryegrass pasture
Moisture	4.0	6.8	55.3	g/100 g fresh wt
DM	96.0	93.2	44.7	g/100 g fresh wt
NDF	32.6	18.5	22.4	g/100 g DM
NDFn^3	30.3	17.2	20.8	g/100 g DM
ADF	18.3	6.0	23.0	g/100 g DM
NFC	7.9	68.7	43.5	g/100 g DM
Ash	9.5	3.2	11.9	g/100 g DM
EE	5.9	2.0	3.0	g/100 g DM
CP	62.2	8.9	20.8	g/100 g DM
ME^5	1707.5	1723.7	1701.1	kJ/100 g DM

Note: Dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), nitrogen free NDF (NDFn), non fibrous carbohydrate (NFC), acid detergent fibre (ADF), ether extract (EE), indigestible organic matter (IOM), and metabolisable energy (ME). Moisture = 100 − DM. NDFn = NDF × 0.93 [38]. NFC = 100 − (NDFn + CP + EE + Ash) [38]. ME = 4194 − (9.2 × Ash) + (1.9 × CP) + (3.9 × EE) − (3.5 × NDF) [39].

Table 2 Least square means and standard error (LSM ± SE) of haematological metabolites in Spirulina supplemented purebred and crossbred Merino lambs, as affected by Spirulina supplementation level.

	Spirulina supplementation level			Normal range	Units
	Control (n = 16)	Low (n = 16)	High (n = 16)
Metabolite
CK	297.44 ± 31.54	249.00 ± 15.08	310.88 ± 22.43	130–350	UI
AST	117.94 ± 5.26	130.06 ± 9.28	129.40 ± 10.91	0–220	UI
GLDH	15.56 ± 3.50	25.81 ± 7.48	23.27 ± 5.91	0–41	UI
GGT	79.40 ± 2.43^b	70.81 ± 2.98^a	69.25 ± 3.04^a	31–72	UI
Total Bilirubin	3.11 ± 0.20	3.28 ± 0.18	3.06 ± 0.14	0–13	μmol/L
BHB	0.37 ± 0.02	0.43 ± 0.02	0.43 ± 0.03	0.0–0.8	mmol/L
Creatinine	57.19 ± 1.61^a	61.75 ± 1.72^b	58.81 ± 1.43^a	69–168	μmol/L
Urea	7.72 ± 0.31	7.99 ± 0.40	7.79 ± 0.32	2.8–7.2	mmol/L
Protein	64.46 ± 1.16	66.08 ± 1.24	64.12 ± 0.85	60–82	g/L
Albumin	35.53 ± 0.57	36.30 ± 0.53	35.73 ± 0.50	24–30	g/L
Globulin	27.50 ± 1.38	29.75 ± 1.05	29.00 ± 1.21	35–57	g/L
A/G ratio	1.25 ± 0.05	1.24 ± 0.04	1.28 ± 0.05	0.6–1.3	–
Glucose	3.81 ± 0.09^b	4.04 ± 0.12^a,b	4.19 ± 0.16^a	2.77–4.44	mmol/L
NEFA	0.82 ± 0.07	0.76 ± 0.09	0.82 ± 0.06	0.20–0.80	mmol/L
Cortisol	62.88 ± 12.36	55.56 ± 9.25	52.25 ± 8.40	50.5–70.5	nmol/L
Electrolytes
Calcium	2.51 ± 0.03	2.52 ± 0.03	2.54 ± 0.04	2.4–3.2	mmol/L
Magnesium	0.95 ± 0.02	0.94 ± 0.02	0.91 ± 0.01	0.82–1.23	mmol/L
Phosphate	2.02 ± 0.07	1.93 ± 0.06	1.99 ± 0.07	1.61–2.35	mmol/L
Sodium	142.06 ± 0.32	142.44 ± 0.32	142.19 ± 0.21	139–152	mmol/L
Potassium	4.80 ± 0.09	4.72 ± 0.10	4.63 ± 0.05	3.9–5.4	mmol/L
Na/K ratio	29.81 ± 0.54	30.50 ± 0.63	30.88 ± 0.40	–	–
Chloride	106.06 ± 0.36	105.81 ± 0.55	106.25 ± 0.54	95–103	mmol/L

Note: Different superscripts signify differences (P < 0.05) within row means. Creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), albumin/globulin ratio (A/G ratio), and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA).

Fig. 1 Spirulina supplementation level and sire breed interactions on: (a) creatinine (P < 0.001); (b) albumin/globulin ratio (A/G ratio; P < 0.007); and (c) gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT; P < 0.010).

Fig. 2 Spirulina supplementation level and sex interactions on: (a) magnesium (P < 0.050); (b) aspartate aminotransferase (AST; P < 0.012); and (c) glucose (P < 0.020).

Fig. 3 Sire breed and sex interactions on: (a) glucose (P < 0.016); and (b) gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT; P < 0.027).

Table 3 Least square means and standard error (LSM ± SE) of haematological metabolites in Spirulina supplemented purebred and crossbred Merino lambs as affected by lamb sire breed and sex.

	Sire breed				Sex		Normal range	Units
	Black Suffolk (n = 12)	Dorset (n = 12)	Merino (n = 12)	White Suffolk (n = 12)	Ewe (n = 24)	Wether (n = 24)
Metabolite
CK	275.75 ± 30.61	332.00 ± 37.89	248.75 ± 138.75	294.33 ± 25.35	283.78 ± 23.57	289.67 ± 16.89	130–350	UI
AST	119.00 ± 10.35	125.50 ± 9.89	138.75 ± 10.21	119.08 ± 9.65	135.63 ± 8.22	115.39 ± 8.22	0–220	UI
GLDH	27.64 ± 8.72	19.42 ± 6.20	17.83 ± 4.17	21.67 ± 7.91	23.67 ± 5.52	19.26 ± 3.87	0–41	UI
GGT	77.00 ± 3.26	80.17 ± 2.40	62.45 ± 2.84	71.58 ± 3.23	77.22 ± 2.50^a	69.00 ± 2.15^b	31–72	UI
Total Bilirubin	2.98 ± 0.15	3.59 ± 0.27	3.11 ± 0.17	2.92 ± 0.15	3.13 ± 0.16	3.17 ± 0.12	0–13	μmol/L
BHB	0.44 ± 0.03	0.37 ± 0.03	0.42 ± 0.03	0.40 ± 0.03	0.43 ± 0.02	0.39 ± 0.02	0.0–0.8	mmol/L
Creatinine	60.83 ± 1.72	58.83 ± 2.43	58.83 ± 1.54	58.50 ± 1.89	57.08 ± 1.43^b	61.42 ± 1.08^a	69–168	μmol/L
Urea	7.19 ± 0.42^b	7.50 ± 0.25^a,b	8.18 ± 0.49^a,b	8.47 ± 0.28^a	7.63 ± 0.27	8.04 ± 0.29	2.8–7.2	mmol/L
Protein	64.73 ± 1.29	66.05 ± 1.29	62.88 ± 1.02	65.89 ± 1.38	63.32 ± 0.79^b	66.45 ± 0.90^a	60–82	g/L
Albumin	36.23 ± 0.38^a	36.385 ± 0.50^a	33.96 ± 0.62^b	36.84 ± 0.61^a	35.44 ± 0.47	36.26 ± 0.36	24–30	g/L
Globulin	27.50 ± 0.92	29.50 ± 2.00	28.67 ± 1.38	29.33 ± 1.33	28.47 ± 0.95	29.08 ± 1.06	35–57	g/L
A/G ratio	1.29 ± 0.05	1.26 ± 0.07	1.20 ± 0.06	1.28 ± 0.03	1.29 ± 0.04	1.22 ± 0.03	0.6–1.3	–
Glucose	3.93 ± 0.09^ab	4.29 ± 0.22^a	3.95 ± 0.16^ab	3.88 ± 0.06^b	4.12 ± 0.13^a	3.90 ± 0.06^b	2.77–4.44	mmol/L
NEFA	0.90 ± 0.09	0.85 ± 0.08	0.77 ± 0.09	0.68 ± 0.07	0.83 ± 0.06	0.77 ± 0.06	0.20–0.80	mmol/L
Cortisol	76.08 ± 14.47	61.83 ± 14.11	49.58 ± 6.95	40.08 ± 6.78	54.38 ± 7.83	59.42 ± 8.61	50.5–70.5	nmol/L
Electrolytes
Calcium	2.50 ± 0.04	2.53 ± 0.04	2.55 ± 0.02	2.50 ± 0.04	2.50 ± 0.02	2.54 ± 0.03	2.4–3.2	mmol/L
Magnesium	0.94 ± 0.02	0.96 ± 0.02	0.92 ± 0.02	0.93 ± 0.02	0.93 ± 0.01	0.94 ± 0.02	0.82–1.23	mmol/L
Phosphate	1.95 ± 0.08	2.03 ± 0.08	1.81 ± 0.06	2.13 ± 0.04	1.95 ± 0.05	2.01 ± 0.06	1.61–2.35	mmol/L
Sodium	142.42 ± 0.31	142.08 ± 0.31	142.08 ± 0.31	142.33 ± 0.40	142.50 ± 0.24	141.96 ± 0.21	139–152	mmol/L
Potassium	4.68 ± 0.11	4.74 ± 0.08	4.61 ± 0.08	4.83 ± 0.12	4.68 ± 0.08	4.75 ± 0.06	3.9–5.4	mmol/L
Na/K ratio	30.67 ± 0.66	30.08 ± 0.53	31.17 ± 0.56	29.67 ± 0.56	30.67 ± 0.50	30.13 ± 0.35	–	–
Chloride	105.92 ± 0.51^a,b	106.92 ± 0.71^a	104.75 ± 0.25^b	106.58 ± 0.50^a	106.21 ± 0.40	105.88 ± 0.39	95–103	mmol/L

Note: Different superscripts signify differences (P < 0.05) within row means. Creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), albumin/globulin ratio (A/G ratio), and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA).