On-farm dietary supplementation of black seed (Nigella sativa) meal in goats: effects on physiological and metabolomic responses during transportation

TL;DR

This study explores how adding black seed meal to goat diets affects their stress and metabolism during long transportation.

Contribution

The study reveals that black seed meal supplementation alters lipid metabolism in goats during transport, potentially reducing protein breakdown.

Findings

BSM supplementation increased lipid metabolism markers like acylcarnitines and β-hydroxybutyric acid.

BSM goats had lower glucose and amino acid levels compared to controls during transport.

Stress indicators like epinephrine were affected by transport duration but not by BSM supplementation.

Abstract

Black cumin or black seed (Nigella sativa) has many beneficial biological properties, and its processing for oil extraction produces a byproduct known as black seed meal (BSM), which is utilized as an animal feed supplement. An experiment was conducted on a commercial farm to determine the effects of BSM supplementation and long-duration transportation on stress and metabolomic responses and antioxidant and immune capacities in goats. Ninety-six uncastrated male Spanish goats (4–5 months old) were randomly divided into two treatment (TRT) groups. Forty-eight goats were fed a concentrate diet containing 15% BSM, and 48 goats were fed the same diet with no BSM (control, C) in separate corrals for 3 weeks with ad libitum water. On the day of the experiment, goats were loaded onto two identical trailers (5 × 2.3 m), with 40 goats/trailer (20 goats/TRT), and were transported for 16 h to simulate a commercial situation. Blood samples were collected at 0 h (15 min after loading), 2 h, 4 h, 10 h, and 16 h of transportation (Time; n = 8 goats/Time/TRT) by jugular venipuncture. The dietary BSM supplementation in goats did not affect stress responses, except for tyramine (p < 0.05), but Time significantly affected (p < 0.05) plasma epinephrine, metanephrine, and normetanephrine. The BSM supplement did not significantly affect the antioxidant and immune status variables. At the metabolome level, 15 amino acids, 4 acylcarnitines, 24 phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins, and 13 other metabolites were significantly affected (p < 0.05) by TRT. Acylcarnitine (C2), hexadecenoylcarnitine (C16:1), hydroxybutyrylcarnitine (C4OH), β-hydroxybutyric acid, and iso-butyric acid concentrations were higher (p < 0.05) in the BSM goats, indicating energy supply was mainly through lipid metabolism. The BSM group had lower (p < 0.05) concentrations of glucose, 11 of the amino acids, and TCA cycle metabolites compared to the C group. Supplementation of BSM in the meat goat diet prior to extended road transportation may help them use fat as an energy source instead of breaking down protein. However, at a 15% level, there were no significant effects on antioxidant and immune status indicators determined.

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