USO DE ÓLEOS FUNCIONAIS DE PLANTAS DO BIOMA CERRADO COMO ADITIVO NA DIETA DE OVINOS

Abstract

Livestock farming, driven by growing food demand, is seeking improvements in ruminant nutrition, which has led to increased production and the use of additives to optimize rumen efficiency. In this context, oils from plants native to the Cerrado, such as Buriti, Bocaiuva, and Bacuri, emerge as a potential natural additive for ruminants. These oils are rich in bioactive compounds such as tocopherols, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. Their antioxidant properties can alleviate oxidative stress, while their compounds can influence the production of volatile fatty acids and exhibit selective antimicrobial activity on the rumen microbiota. The objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of Buriti, Bocaiuva, and Bacuri oils as natural additives on intake and apparent digestibility, water intake, nitrogen balance, and blood, physiological, and behavioral parameters in sheep diets. Four sheep with an average live weight of 52 ± 5.65 kg were distributed in a 4x4 Latin square design. The diets were formulated with a roughage:concentrate ratio of 400:600 g/kg dry matter. The treatments consisted of: Control (basal diet without addition of functional oil); Buriti (with inclusion of Buriti pulp oil); Bocaiuva (with inclusion of Bocaiuva pulp oil); and Bacuri (with inclusion of Bacuri nut oil). The inclusion of Buriti oil reduced the intake of dry matter (1798.21 g/day), organic matter (1709.04 g/day), crude protein (227.15 g/day), ether extract (50.09 g/day), neutral detergent fiber (600.77 g/day), acid detergent fiber (316.83 g/day) and non-fibrous carbohydrates (831.05 g/day; P