Factors affecting uptake of gossypol in cattle

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to determine effects of feeding whole cottonseed (WCS), expander solvent cottonseed meal (CSM), or a combination of these, as well as other factors on blood gossypol concentrations in cattle. In an 84 d trial, lactating cows were fed zero, 900 or 1800 ppm total gossypol (TG) in diets from WCS and/or CSM. Plasma gossypol (PG) in cows receiving 1800 ppm TG plateaued at 3.28 μg/ml after 28 d. However, by 28 d, erythrocyte fragility increased for cows receiving WCS diets. Plasma chemistry, vitamin A, body temperatures, and respiration rates were within normal ranges. Serum vitamin E levels increased with cottonseed in diets. Milk yield and FCM higher (P < 0.05) for cows fed 13.5% WCS and 7% CSM diet than controls. Feed efficiency and milk fat and protein percentages were not influenced by diets. In another study, young Holstein steers were fed diets during five consecutive treatment periods of 28 d each. The following was shown: (1) A basal diet with 15% Upland WCS resulted in average TG intakes of 9.08 g/d. (2) When varying concentrations of dietary iron (5 treatments) were fed with 15% WCS, PG and plasma total gossypol response (PG/TG intake) decreased as iron in diets increased. (3) Five diets with 15% cottonseed in the whole, cracked, roasted, roasted and cracked, or extruded forms showed that roasting or excluding WCS reduced FG in seed up to 86%. The PG concentration was higher (P < 0.05) for the whole and cracked diets, but plasma total gossypol response (PTGR) increased over controls for the cracked and roasted treatments. (4) When varying amounts of WCS and CSM (6 treatments) were fed up to 14 and 9% of the diet, respectively, PG concentration was higher (P for diets with 14% than 7% WCS. The PTGR was not affected by CSM supplementation for the 7% WCS treatments. (5) When feeding of four diets with 15% cottonseed as whole Upland, cracked Upland, whole Pima, or cracked Pima seed, PG and PTGR were higher for the Pima than Upland diets. Performance for the 28 d periods was not altered by treatments.