The effect of manganese supplementation on its concentrations in blood, hair, and organs of goat kids

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation with an organic form of manganese on its concentration in blood, hair, and organs of goat kids. A total of 27 kids were divided into control and experimental groups on the day of their birth (Day 1). The kids were on mother’s milk only diet until the day of weaning (Day 70). After weaning the kids received pellets at doses 0.3 kg/head/day for next 70 days. The control group received pellets (manganese content 36.7 mg/kg) and the experimental group received pellets with extra manganese addition in the form of manganese proteinate at the amount of 220 mg/kg. Blood samples were taken on days 1, 70, 105, and 140; hair samples on days 1, 70, and 140. At the end of experiment, 7 kids from each group were slaughtered and samples of heart, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidney, muscle, and brain were taken. Manganese concentration was determined from fresh tissues after microwave digestion by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Kids of the experimental group had a significantly higher manganese concentration in the liver (4.90 vs. 3.06 mg/kg), heart (0.47 vs 0.28 mg/kg), kidney (1.29 vs. 0.87 mg/kg), brain (0.33 vs 0.26 mg/kg), and hair (4.25 vs. 3.14 mg/kg) compared to the control group. The manganese concentration in blood was not affected by supplementation. Results of this study indicate that using the mentioned organs and hair for evaluation of the manganese status in an organism is more suitable than the determination of manganese concentration in blood. Manganese proteinate, goat, tissue, liver, kidney