Experimental phytobiotic Phytostimplus and its application to calves

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to study the composition of biologically active compounds of the experimental biological supplement Fitostimplus and its influence on the biochemical parameters of the blood of calves of the milk growing period, body weight gain, safety. In the experiment Holstein calves starting from the age of 3 days were used during 2 months. The results of studies of the phytobiotic for the presence of biologically active substances showed that it contained 13 different flavonoids and their glycosides, 7 ecdysteroids. As the main flavonoids there were identified luteolin, quercetin, quercetin-3-methyl ether, apigenin, kaempferol, and as ecdysteroids - ecdysten, inocosterone and augasterone C. The total concentration of the studied extractives (flavonoids, ecdysteroids) in terms of dry product corresponded to 3.594 mg/g. The concentration of lactic acid microorganisms in Phytostimplus was 4×106 CFU/g. In the experiment on calves (n = 5 per group) it was found that after daily oral administration for 60 days Phytostimplus in doses of 1.0; 2.0; 3.0 grams per head, the average daily gain in live weight in the experimental groups exceeded that in the control by 6.3-27.7 %. The best indicator of the average daily gain in live weight of calves was noted with the introduction of 2.0 and 3.0 grams (27.7 and 18.2 % higher than in the control, respectively), safety in all groups was 100 %. A month after the start of the experiment, the phosphorus index in the blood of calves in all experimental (from 3.1±0.07 to 3.4±0.02 mmol/l) and control (3.1±0.01 mmol/l) groups exceeded reference values by 6.9-17.2 %. At the end of the experiment, the phosphorus index in the experimental (from 2.7±0.22 to 2.8±0.07 mmol/l) and control (2.6±0.01 mmol/l) groups returned to normal. Glucose in the experimental and control groups (from 5.3±0.2 to 5.9±0.1 mmol/l) was 15-28.2 % higher than the reference values. Other studied biochemical parameters in the experimental groups: ALT (from 13.4±1.6 to 19.9±2.2 units/l), AST (from 56.3±3.2 to 63.3±4.8 units/l), total protein (from 62.0±0.1 to 65.0±0.1 g/l), albumins (from 39.3±1.4 to 41.5±2.4 g/l), creatinine (from 64.8±3.5 to 72.8±6.6 µmol/l), urea (from 2.7±0.16 to 3.6±0.3 mmol/l)– did not go beyond the physiological norm. Thus, by the end of the experiment, Phytostimulus contributed to an increase in the average daily gain of calves in comparison with the control. The effective doses of Phytostimplus for calves of the milk growing period were established, which, in terms of the main substance, corresponded to 2-3 g/head per day.