Berberine supplementation modulates the somatotropic axis and ameliorates glucose tolerance in dairy goats during late gestation and early lactation

Table 1 Ingredients and nutrient composition (DM basis) of pre- and post-partum diets

	Diets
	Pre-partum ^a	Post-partum ^b
Ingredient (% of DM)
Alfalfa hay	4.00	29.5
Corn silage	34.3	10.8
Wheat straw	17.9	5.00
Barley grain, ground	7.70	10.8
Corn grain, ground	31.5	22.2
Soybean meal	1.00	17.0
Wheat bran	1.80	2.20
Calcium–carbonate	0.90	1.00
Minerals and vitamins premix ^c	0.90	0.50
Salt	0.00	1.00
Chemical composition
ME, Mcal/kg of DM ^d	2.60	2.90
Crude protein (% DM)	18.5	15.5
Ether extract (% DM)	2.50	2.50
Ash (% DM)	7.60	8.00
Neutral detergent fiber (% DM)	43.0	37.3
Non-fibrous carbohydrates (% DM) ^e	38.0	36.7

^aFrom 50 days before parturition until kidding
^bFrom kidding until 21 days of lactation
^cContaining vitamin A (250,000 IU/kg), vitamin D (50,000 IU/kg), vitamin E (1,500 IU/kg), manganese (2.25 g/kg), calcium (120 g/kg), zinc (7.7 g/kg), phosphorus (20 g/kg), magnesium (20.5 g/kg), sodium (186 g/kg), iron (1.25 g/kg), sulfur (3 g/kg), copper (1.25 g/kg), cobalt (14 mg/kg), iodine (56 mg/kg) and selenium (10 mg/kg)
^dCornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System predicted based upon measured feedstuff nutrient composition and actual DMI using SRNS [21]
^eNon-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC) were estimated according to the equation: NFC = 100 − (NDF + CP + EE + Ash) [20]

ISSN: 1746-6148