Quest for Nutritional and Medicinal Forages for Meat Goats

Authors: Foster, Joyce; MORALES, MARIO - MOUNTAIN STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Miscellaneous Publishing Information Bulletin
Publication Type: Research Notes
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2007
Publication Date: 6/20/2007
Citation: Foster, J.G., Morales, M. 2007. Quest for Nutritional and Medicinal Forages for Meat Goats (research article). The Herbal Dispatch, 5(6).

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Appalachian meat goat producers are encountering animal nutritional and health problems for which research-based solutions are limited. Goats prefer to eat weeds and browse, selecting the highest quality herbage available. Foraging on traditional pastures not only limits the variety of plant species consumed, but also results in rapid infestation of the animals by the barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus), a gastrointestinal parasite that feeds on the blood of the goat. Uncontrolled, these helminthes cause anemia and death of the host animal. Few commercial dewormers are labeled for goats, and the parasites are rapidly becoming resistant to these drugs. We are investigating plant resources that are not usually used in small ruminant enterprises to determine their potential to support meat goat health, performance, and meat quality objectives. One such plant is purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.), a succulent herb that is consumed by humans as a salad green. Germplasm varies in growth habit, but nutritive value is consistently high. Purslane is one of the best botanical sources of '-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, and an excellent source of the antioxidants vitamin E, vitamin C, and '-carotene. Use of purslane as a forage or forage supplement for goats could enhance meat quality, flavor, and shelf life. Seeds having an oil content of 17% are produced in abundance and are reported to have anthelmintic activity in humans. We hypothesize that purslane can help control gastrointestinal parasites in meat goats. Laboratory analyses with vegetative and reproductive tissues are being conducted to determine the potential to disrupt the life cycle of the barber pole worm. Purslane has the disadvantage of accumulating oxalates. Currently, we are defining the concentration of oxalates in purslane herbage. Different purslane plant lines that have desirable growth habits and chemical composition are being used in breeding efforts to improve production and composition and are being tested in the field to determine if these characteristics persist in practice. Rumen bacteria that specifically utilize oxalates provide ruminants a defense against oxalate toxicity. With improved purslane germplasm and appropriate management strategies for both the plant and the animal, purslane may become a valuable component in meat goat production systems.