Inclusão da capsaicina na dieta de cordeiros terminados em diferentes sistemas de produção a pasto

Abstract

Capsaicin is an active chemical compound found in plants of the genus Capsicum, and has been used in studies aimed at improving feed efficiency and the immune condition of ruminants. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the use of diets supplemented with capsaicin on the productive performance of lambs finished in pasture-based production systems. The experiment was conducted from December 2022 to April 2023, at the Sheep Farming Research and Extension Teaching Unit, located on the experimental farm of the Federal Technological University of Paraná, in the southwest region of Paraná, Brazil. For this, 24 uncastrated Dorper x Santa Inês crossbred lambs, with an average age of 4 to 5 months, average weight of 36 kg and ECC around 3.0, were used. Distributed in 12 paddocks in a pasture-based production system, being 6 paddocks in Full Sun and 6 paddocks in a Silvopastoral System. Four treatments were evaluated: Treatment 1 - lambs in a full-sun pasture production system without capsaicin supplementation; Treatment 2 - lambs in a full-sun pasture production system supplemented with capsaicin (300 mg/animal/day); Treatment 3 - lambs in a silvopastoral production system without capsaicin supplementation; and Treatment 4 - lambs in a silvopastoral production system supplemented with capsaicin (300 mg/animal/day). The animals were weighed every 15 days to determine the ADG, and feces were collected for EPG and conjunctival analysis via the FAMACHA© method at regular intervals every 21 days. Capsaicin supplementation did not influence the variables ADG, EPG, and FAMACHA© (p<0.05). However, when evaluated over the experimental time, the variables ADG, EPG, and FAMACHA© showed significant results (p>0.05). It is concluded that the use of capsaicin did not influence productive performance or parasitic infection in sheep.