Long-Term Effects of Feeding Gossypol and Vitamin E to Dairy Calves

¹ Department of Animal Science, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611
² College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611
³ Department of Dairy and Poultry Science, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611
⁴ Department of Statistics, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611
⁵ Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, N.J. 07110
⁶ Department of Animal Science, Texas Agricultural Experimental Station, Texas A&M University, San Angelo 76901

Male Holstein calves were used to test the effect of feeding 400 mg of free gossypol/kg of diet and to determine whether vitamin E could counteract gossypol toxicity. Fifty-two calves were allotted to treatments as follows: 1) soybean meal-based starter; 2) cottonseed meal-based starter; 3) cottonseed meal-based starter + 2000 IU of vitamin E/d per calf, and 4) cottonseed meal-based starter + 4000 IU of vitamin E/d per calf. Vitamin E supplementation (treatments 3 and 4) improved weight gain and feed intake over calves on treatment 1. Gossypol concentrations in plasma were higher in calves on treatments 2, 3, and 4 than in calves on treatment 1; however, no differences were observed among animals receiving the three cottonseed meal diets. Hemoglobin and hematocrit were decreased in calves receiving treatment 2, and vitamin E supplementation counteracted this effect (treatments 3 and 4). Plasma -tocopherol concentrations were not affected by gossypol intake and followed the vitamin E supplementation pattern. During the experimental period, 10 calves died, six from treatment 2 and two each from treatments 3 and 4. Necropsy findings from 4 of 10 calves were suggestive of gossypol toxicity. Histopathological examination revealed centrilobular necrosis in the liver and atrophy and vacuolation of cardiocytes. Feeding cottonseed meal caused death of some calves with gossypol related toxicity signs, but did not decrease plasma -tocopherol; however, vitamin E supplementation increased performance and may have conferred some protection against gossypol toxicity.

Key Words: Holstein calves • gossypol • vitamin E

Submitted on September 28, 1998
Accepted on January 24, 1999

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. F. Kertz and H. Chester-Jones Invited Review: Guidelines for Measuring and Reporting Calf and Heifer Experimental Data J Dairy Sci, November 1, 2004; 87(11): 3577 - 3580. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. A. Risco, A. L Adams, S. Seebohm, M.-J. Thatcher, C. R. Staples, H. H. Van Horn, L. R. McDowell, M. C. Calhoun, and W. W. Thatcher Effects of Gossypol From Cottonseed on Hematological Responses and Plasma {alpha}-Tocopherol Concentration of Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, December 1, 2002; 85(12): 3395 - 3402. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]