Abstract
European and Italian legislation have banned use of growth promoters in livestock since 1988, but epidemiological data show that anabolic drugs are still being used illegally. Recent surveys carried out on the cattle farms in Northern Italy have confirmed the presence of growth-promoting hormones. Authors report data on growth performances in 80 Valle del Belice × Comisana weaned lambs experimentally treated with 17 beta-estradiol with 0.5 ml solution of oil Depot Estradiol ® (containing 5 mg of 17β-estradiol valerate) by intramuscular injection into the thigh. The experiment was founded by the National Ministry of Health, to validate histological test for surveillance and control of growth-promoting hormones in sheep. This study confirmed the strong correlation between clinical and anatomopathological features and growth performances of treated animals. Otherwise, no significant differences were found on in vivo performance of the lambs. Estradiol treatment showed heavier shoulders and necks on treated lambs, while the loins were significantly lighter. Moreover, lamb-estradiol-treated groups showed lower separable and inseparable fat percentage than lamb-control groups.
References
Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). 2003. Official Methods of Analysis, 17th edition, revision 2, Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
Barone R., 2003. Anatomia comparata dei mammiferi domestici. (Edagricole, Bologna).
Bonanno A., Di Miceli G., Di Grigoli A., Frenda A. S., Tornambè G., Giambalvo D., Amato G., 2011. Effects of feeding green forage of sulla (Hedysarium coronarium L.) on lamb growth and carcass and meat quality. Animal, 5 (1),148–154
Carson A.F., Elliott C.T., Mackie D.P., McCaughey W.J., 2001. Active immunization of lambs with a monoclonal antibody against clenbuterol. Livestock Production Science, 68, 87–91.
Courtheyn D., Le Bizec B., Brambilla G., De Brabander H. F., Cobbaert E., Van de Wiele M., Vercammen J. and De Wasch K., 2002. Recent developments in the use and abuse of growth promoters. Analytica Chimica Acta, 473, 71–82.
ERSAF, 2008. Il mercato delle carni, produzione e consumo. www.ersaf.lombardia.it
Fisher A.V., De Boer H., 1994. The EAAP standard method of sheep carcass assessment. Carcass measurements and dissection procedures. Report of the EAAP Working Group on Carcass Evaluation, in cooperation with the CIHEAM Instituto Agronomico Mediterraneo of Zaragoza and the CEC Directorate General for Agriculture in Brussels. Livestock Production Science. 38,149–159
Groot MJ., 2006. Effects of phyto-oestrogens on veal calf prostate histology. Veterinary Research Communication;30(6),587–98
Laviolette L.A., Garson K., Macdonald E.A, Senterman M.K., Courville K., Crane C.A. and Vanderhyden B.C., 2010. 17ß-estradiol accelerates tumor onset and decreases survival in a transgenic mouse model of ovarian cancer. Endocrinology, 151, 3, 929–938.
Meyer HH, 2001. Biochemistry and physiology of anabolic hormones used for improvement of meat production. APMIS.109(1),1–8.
Ministry of Health, 2009. D.G. della Sicurezza degli Alimenti e della Nutrizione, Ufficio III. Relazione finale Piano Nazionale Residui: 16–18.www.salute.gov.it/imgs/C_17_pubblicazioni_1296_allegato.pdf
Newbold R.R., Liehr J.G., 2000. Induction of uterine adenocarcinoma in CD-1 mice by catechol estrogens. Cancer Research. 15;60(2): 235–237.
Pace V., Carbone K., Spirito F., Iacurto M., Terzano M.G., Verna M., Vincenti F., Settineri D., 2006. The effects of subterranean clover phytoestrogens on sheep growth, reproduction and carcass characteristics. Meat Science. 74, 616–622
Pezzolato M., Maurella C., Varello K., Meloni D., Bellino C., Borlatto L., Di Corcia D., Capra P., Caramelli M., Bozzetta E., 2011. High sensitivity of a histological method in the detection of low-dosage illicit treatment with 17b-estradiol in male calves. Food Control. 22,1668–1673.
Preziuso, G., Russo, C., Casarosa, L., Campodoni, G., Piloni, S., Cianci, D., 1999. Effect of diet energy source on weight gain and carcass characteristics of lambs. Small Ruminant Research. 33, 9–15.
Reig, Milagro; Toldrá, Fidel, 2009. Safety of meat and processed meat, food microbiology and food Safety. Springer, New York.
SAS, 2004. Statistical Analysis System. SAS Institute Inc. Version 9.1.2, Cary, NC, USA.
Scarth J, Akre C, van Ginkel L, Le Bizec B, De Brabander H, Korth W, Points J, Teale P, Kay J., 2009. Presence and metabolism of endogenous androgenic–anabolic steroid hormones in meat-producing animals: a review. Food Additive Contaminants: Part A. Vol.26(5),640–671.
Scintu M.F., Piredda G., 2007. Typicity and biodiversity of goat and sheep milk products. Small Ruminant Research, 68,221–231.
The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, 2008. Directive 2008/97/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 19 November 2008 amending Council Directive 96/22/EC concerning the prohibition on the use in stock farming of certain substances having a hormonal or thyrostatic action and of beta-agonists. Official Journal of the European Union, L 318, 9–1.
Yu FL., 2002. 17 Beta-estradiol epoxidation as the molecular basis for breast cancer initiation and prevention. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition;11 Suppl 7, 460–466.
Acknowledgments
This research was founded by the Italian Ministry of Health (Projects RF-IZP-2006-364645).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Loria, G.R., Puleio, R., Schiavo, M.R. et al. Growth performance in heavy lambs experimentally treated with 17 ß-estradiol. Trop Anim Health Prod 44, 1323–1328 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-012-0089-1
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-012-0089-1