University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences Animal and Food Sciences 2017 INFLUENCE OF ERGOT ALKALOIDS ON RUMEN MOTILITY: TIME AND CONCENTRATION OF ERGOVALINE + ERGOVALININE REQUIRED TO IMPACT RETICULORUMEN MOTILITY Kara Riccioni University of Kentucky, [email protected] Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.13023/ETD.2017.396 Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Riccioni, Kara, "INFLUENCE OF ERGOT ALKALOIDS ON RUMEN MOTILITY: TIME AND CONCENTRATION OF ERGOVALINE + ERGOVALININE REQUIRED TO IMPACT RETICULORUMEN MOTILITY" (2017). Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences. 77. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/animalsci_etds/77 This Master's Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Animal and Food Sciences at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained needed written permission statement(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine) which will be submitted to UKnowledge as Additional File. I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless an embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s thesis including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Kara Riccioni, Student Dr. David L. Harmon, Major Professor Dr. David L. Harmon, Director of Graduate Studies INFLUENCE OF ERGOT ALKALOIDS ON RUMEN MOTILITY: TIME AND CONCENTRATION OF ERGOVALINE + ERGOVALININE REQUIRED TO IMPACT RETICULORUMEN MOTILITY ________________________________________ THESIS ________________________________________ A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment at the University of Kentucky By Kara Marie Riccioni Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. David L. Harmon, Professor of Animal Science Lexington, Kentucky 2017 Copyright © Kara Marie Riccioni 2017 ABSTRACT OF THESIS INFLUENCE OF ERGOT ALKALOIDS ON RUMEN MOTILITY: TIME AND CONCENTRATION OF ERGOVALINE + ERGOVALININE REQUIRED TO IMPACT RETICULORUMEN MOTILITY Fescue toxicosis is problematic for ruminant livestock, causing weight loss and low productivity when fed endophyte-infected forages. Complete underlying mechanisms of toxicosis are unknown therefore; the objective of the study was to determine if ruminally dosed ergot alkaloids impact rumen motility. Cannulated steers were pair-fed a forage diet and ruminally dosed with endophyte-free (E-) or endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue seed. An 8-h period of rumen motility collection began 4-h after feeding by monitoring pressure change via a wireless telemetry and transducer system. In experiment 1, steers were paired by weight and assigned to E- or E+ treatment. Overall, E+ steers had more frequent contractions. On d 7 - 9, both treatments had lower frequencies and E- steers had greater amplitude of contractions, which corresponded with decreased DM intake. In experiment 2 steers remained in pair, but switched treatment. During the 57 d E+ steers received titrated levels of ergovaline + ergovalinine. There was no difference between treatments for frequency or amplitude of contractions, but increasing dosage, decreased frequency (d 1 - 44) and amplitude, coinciding with lower DM intakes. Alteration in rumen motility associated with changes in intake may be responsible for the decreased productivity in ruminants consuming E+ forages. KEYWORDS: ruminant, bovine, rumen motility, ergot alkaloids, contraction _______Kara Marie Riccioni Author’s Signature ____________20 September 2017 Date INFLUENCE OF ERGOT ALKALOIDS ON RUMEN MOTILITY: TIME AND CONCENTRATION OF ERGOVALINE + ERGOVALININE REQUIRED TO IMPACT RETICULORUMEN MOTILITY By Kara Marie Riccioni ______Dr. David L. Harmon Director of Thesis ______Dr. David L. Harmon Director of Graduate Studies ____________20 September 2017 Date ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. David Harmon, for providing me with this opportunity and guiding me on this path towards my degree. If it were not for him taking a chance on an Agribusiness student and livestock enthusiast from Penn State, I would not be where I am today. Also, I like to thank my committee members; Dr. James Klotz and Dr. Kyle McLeod, for their time and help in completing my thesis. I would like to extend thanks to the Winston Lin, Adam Bohannon, and the University of Kentucky Beef Unit farm staff, especially Lauren Clark and Kirk Vanzant, for all their assistance in preparing and completing my research studies and always being able to help fix the internet when I could never manage to get it to work. I am grateful the help and support of the many graduate students who helped me along the way. Specifically, Amanda Egert who took the time to teach me the technology used in my project. I cannot thank Suélen Ávila and Cleisy Ferreira enough for all their help and all the early mornings at the farm. Also, I am grateful to Amanda Pesqueira, Miriam Snider, and Taylor Ferguson for never being scared to get their hands dirty on rumen evacuation days and always being there to help with whatever I needed. Suélen, Cleisy, Amanda, Miriam, and Taylor; thank you for being more than peers, but great friends. Moreover, I am thankful to my best friends, Taylor Malinosky and Geordann Weik, and sister, Loren, for always being a listening ear or a great laugh at the times I needed a break. My supportive parents, Robert and Regina, for helping in whatever I needed whenever I needed it and always sending a care package at times I was missing iii home the most. I am thankful to my two loving dogs, Beemer and Bentley, for always being a happy face when I needed a smile. Lastly, I am thankful for my fiancé, Nicholas Britt, who has always backed my dreams, no matter how crazy they may seem. I am beyond grateful and words cannot express the extent of gratitude I have for your love and support these past two years. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................ iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures ................................................................................................................. viii Frequently Used Abbreviations ........................................................................................ ix Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................. 3 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 3 Tall Fescue ............................................................................................................. 3 Short History in the United States ............................................................. 3 Productions and Utilization in the United States Today ............................ 6 Taxonomy and Agronomic Qualities ......................................................... 8 Nutritive Value ......................................................................................... 10 Endophyte Symbiotic Relationship .......................................................... 11 Tall Fescue Toxicosis .......................................................................................... 14 Symptoms ................................................................................................ 14 Animal Performance ................................................................................ 16 Underlying Mechanisms .......................................................................... 17 Economic Impact ..................................................................................... 19 Management ............................................................................................. 20 Neotyphodium coenophialum Associated Alkaloids ........................................... 21 Structure ..................................................................................................