Abstract Organic chromium and yucca extract (main components saponins) have functional properties that can stimulate desirable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses and consequently enhance the weight gain. Thus, the effects of supplementation with organic chromium and yucca extract (alone or in combination) on growth and health in lactating lambs were measured. Sixty-four Lacaune lambs aged 18 ± 2.5 days, were divided into 16 pens (four pen/treatment; four lambs/pen). All lambs received the same basal diet, consisting of corn silage, concentrate and a mixture of sheep's milk and milk replacer (50/50 v/v). The experiment lasted 40 days, i.e., starting with 18-day-old animals. All animals received the same feeding and management, differing only in terms of supplementation: control treatment (no supplementation); yucca treatment (YE) with 250 mg yucca extract per kg concentrate; chromium treatment (OC) with 2 mg organic chromium per kg concentrate; combined treatment (YE + OC) lambs received supplementation of yucca extract (250 mg/kg) and organic chromium (2 mg/kg). At days 0, 15, 30 and 40 of the experiment, the animals were weighed and blood samples were collected for analysis of hemogram, serum biochemistry and antioxidant status. All data were analyzed using MIXED procedure of SAS. Lambs of YE + OC treatment had significantly greater weight gain, compared to others groups. Supplementation influenced the white blood cell count, manifesting as lower numbers of total leukocytes in the YE + OC treatment than in the controls (days 15, 30 and 40), attributable to reductions in neutrophil and lymphocyte counts. Lambs from OC treatment also had fewer leukocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes on days 30 and 40. Significantly greater levels of total proteins and globulins (YE, OC, and YE + OC) were observed on day 40 than in controls. Lipid metabolism was altered by treatments, in particular manifesting as increased cholesterol in the YE + OC combination group. There were lower reactive oxygen species in groups YE and YE + OC than in controls during the experimental period, as well as in group OC on days 30 and 40. These data suggest that chromium supplementation and yucca extract, alone or in combination, increased serum activity of antioxidant enzymes (catalase and superoxide dismutase). Thus, organic chromium and yucca extract when used alone alter response parameters; however, the combination of the two improves animal health response parameters, as well as growth performance.

中文翻译：

---

丝兰提取物和有机铬对泌乳羔羊生长性能和健康的影响

摘要 有机铬和丝兰提取物（主要成分皂苷）具有功能特性，可以刺激理想的抗氧化和抗炎反应，从而促进体重增加。因此，测量了补充有机铬和丝兰提取物（单独或组合）对哺乳羔羊生长和健康的影响。将 64 只 18 ± 2.5 天的 Lacaune 羔羊分成 16 个围栏（四个围栏/处理；四只羔羊/围栏）。所有羔羊都接受相同的基础饮食，包括玉米青贮饲料、浓缩物以及羊奶和代乳品的混合物 (50/50 v/v)。实验持续40天，即从18天大的动物开始。所有动物都接受相同的喂养和管理，仅在补充方面有所不同：对照治疗（不补充）；丝兰处理 (YE)，每公斤浓缩物中含有 250 毫克丝兰提取物；每公斤精矿用 2 毫克有机铬进行铬处理 (OC)；联合治疗 (YE + OC) 羔羊接受了丝兰提取物 (250 mg/kg) 和有机铬 (2 mg/kg) 的补充。在实验的第 0、15、30 和 40 天，对动物称重并收集血样用于分析血象、血清生化和抗氧化状态。所有数据均使用SAS的MIXED程序进行分析。与其他组相比，YE + OC 治疗的羔羊体重增加明显更多。补充剂影响白细胞计数，表现为 YE + OC 治疗中的总白细胞数量低于对照组（第 15、30 和 40 天），这归因于中性粒细胞和淋巴细胞计数的减少。来自 OC 处理的羔羊在第 30 天和第 40 天具有更少的白细胞、中性粒细胞和淋巴细胞。在第 40 天观察到的总蛋白质和球蛋白（YE、OC 和 YE + OC）水平显着高于对照组。脂质代谢因治疗而改变，特别是在 YE + OC 组合组中表现为胆固醇增加。在实验期间，YE 和 YE + OC 组以及 OC 组在第 30 天和第 40 天的活性氧种类低于对照组。这些数据表明，单独或联合补充铬和丝兰提取物可增加血清抗氧化酶（过氧化氢酶和超氧化物歧化酶）的活性。因此，单独使用有机铬和丝兰提取物会改变响应参数；然而，两者的结合改善了动物健康反应参数，