Monitoramento da infecção helmíntica de ovelhas alimentadas com capsaicina em confinamento

Abstract

Worm infestation is considered one of the main health problems in sheep farming, causing major impacts on the development and production of these animals. In the search for viable alternatives for its control, the use of nutritional additives has become increasingly frequent. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of different levels of capsaicin on helminth contamination of confined sheep matrices. The study was carried out at the Sheep and Goat Teaching and Research Unit of the Federal Technological University of Paraná - UTFPR, Dois Vizinhos campus. Thirty-two crossbred females of the Dorper x Santa Inês breeds with an average weight of 80 ± 5.0 kg and an age of 3.5 ± 1.0 years were used, confined in eight six-m² pens, in a pen with a suspended slatted floor. The animals were fed corn silage, water and mineralsalt ad libitum, and 1.5% of live weight (LW) of concentrate (soybean meal and corn). Different levels of capsaicin were included in the diet of these animals. In treatments with added capsaicin, 0, 150, 300 or 600 mg/day of CAPCIN® were provided, divided into two doses per day, according to the established treatment. The quantification and qualification of the infecting helminth population was determined using the eggs per gram of feces (EPG) technique at 21-day intervals, and a fecal sample was collected for coproculture, in addition to evaluating the degree of anemia of the matrices using the FAMACHA© method at 21-day intervals. The results obtained using the eggs per gram of feces (EPG) technique showed that there was a significant change only for the period factor (P<0.05), but for the treatment factor, the different levels of capsaicin inclusion did not present a significant isolated effect on the parasite load of confined sheep. The stool culture showed a predominance of the genus Haemonchus contortus, reinforcing its role as the main agent of ovine worm infestation. The evaluation of the degree of anemia of the matrices using the FAMACHA© method revealed predominant scores of grade 1 and 2, indicating the absence of significant anemia. It was concluded that the different levels of capsaicin inclusion did not present a significant isolated effect, which may be related to individual variability, gestational stage of the females, sample number or reinfection of helminths. Further studies are needed to prove these factors in order to obtain more conclusive results on the use of capsaicin.