Effects of diet forage:concentrate ratio and metabolizable energy intake on visceral organ growth and in vitro oxidative capacity of gut tissues in sheep.

Summary

This field trial examined how forage:concentrate ratio and metabolizable energy intake affect visceral organ development and gut tissue metabolism in growing lambs. Higher metabolizable energy intake increased performance metrics and visceral organ mass across both diet types, whilst forage-based diets produced larger total digestive tracts relative to body weight. The study provides evidence that nutrient density and diet composition interact to influence both growth performance and the metabolic capacity of gut tissues.

Regional applicability

The findings are relevant to United Kingdom sheep farming systems, particularly those based on forage-concentrate mixtures. The mechanistic insights into how diet composition affects visceral organ development and gut epithelial function may inform feeding strategies for lamb production in temperate grassland systems, though direct application would require validation under United Kingdom management and environmental conditions.

Key measures

Dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency, total digestive tract weight, liver weight, small intestinal epithelial and muscle mass, rumen and small intestinal DNA and RNA concentrations, Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity in ileal epithelium

Outcomes reported

The study measured visceral organ mass, composition, and oxidative capacity of gut tissues in lambs fed diets varying in forage:concentrate ratio and metabolizable energy intake over a 52-day period. Key outcome variables included total digestive tract weight, liver weight, small intestinal epithelial and muscle mass, and enzymatic activity in various gut tissues.

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