EVALUATION OF THE EFFICACY OF DIFFERENT RUMEN BUFFERS ON PREVENTION OF RUMINAL ACIDOSIS IN GOATS

This study was realized to evaluate the efficacy of dietary supplementation of sodium bicarbonate plus magnesium oxide "MgO", calcareous marine algae (AcidBuf) and essential oils (Actifor®Boost) on the animal performance and prevention of ruminal acidosis in goats moreover, evaluation the diagnostic accuracy of some biochemical parameters including blood pH, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), bicarbonate (HCO3-), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), beta-hydroxybutyric acid (βHBA) and plasma L-lactate versus ruminal pH in diagnosis of ruminal acidosis. A total of 30 goats were divided into five equal groups (G1-5) according to the type of dietary treatment. G1 served as a control group and fed the concentrate diet only, G2 fed the concentrate diet supplemented with 10 g Na bicarbonate plus 4g MgO, G3 supplemented with 4g AcidBuf, G4 supplemented with 10 g Na bicarbonate plus 4g MgO plus 4g AcidBuf and G5 supplemented with 1g Actifor® boost/head/day for five days. Tachycardia, tachypnea and decreased ruminal motility were recorded in G1 only. The ruminal pH tended to return to its toward normal for G3 and G4 with a mean of (6.3±0.03 and 6.3±0.01, respectively) which significantly higher than those of G1 and G2 (6.19±0.01 and 6.17±0.02 respectively). A significant increase in plasma L-lactate and a significant decrease in blood pH, HCO3-, pCO2, TAC, and βHBA were recorded in G1 when compared with other groups. Calcareous marine algae with or without adding other compounds found to be a promising rumen buffer agent, moreover TAC and plasma L-lactate showed better diagnostic performance versus rumen pH in the diagnosis of ruminal acidosis.