ORIGINAL RESEARCH

 

Molasses as a possible cause of an "endocrine disruptive syndrome" in calves

 

 

M.S. Masgoret^I; C.J. Botha^I; J.G. Myburgh^I; T.W. Naudé^I; L. Prozesky^I; V. Naidoo^I; J.H. van Wyk^II; E.J. Pool^III; G.E. Swan^I

^IDepartment of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110 South Africa
^IIEcophysiology Laboratory, Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, 7600 South Africa
^IIIDepartment of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, 7535 South Africa

 

 

---

ABSTRACT

During the mid 1990s a potentially serious, chronic syndrome was reported in well-managed beef and dairy herds from unrelated parts of South Africa. Farmers reported that it manifested as various combinations of decreased production, decreased weaning masses, apparent immune breakdown in previously immunocompetent animals, increased reproductive disorders, various mineral imbalances in non-deficient areas and goitre, noticeable as enlarged thyroid glands. The farmers associated this syndrome with certain batches of sugar cane molasses and molasses-based products. The syndrome was reminiscent of an "endocrine disruptive syndrome". The objective of this study was to evaluate the suspected endocrine disruptive effect of molasses included in cattle feed. Using existing in vitro assays, four batches of molasses syrup were screened for possible inclusion in a calf feeding trial. Two batches were selected for the trial. Thirty-two, 4- to 6-week-old, weaned Holstein bull calves were included in the single phase, three treatment, parallel design experiment. In two of the groups of calves, two different batches of molasses were included in their rations respectively. The control group was fed a ration to which no molasses was added, but which was balanced for energy and mineral content. The mass gain of the calves was recorded over the 6-month study period. The calves were clinically examined every week and clinical pathology parameters, immune responses and endocrine effects were regularly evaluated. Even though endocrine disrupting effects were detected with the in vitro screening assays, these could not be reproduced in the calves in the experiment. The two batches of molasses utilized in the calf feeding trial did not induce major differences in any of the parameters measured, with the exception of a lower mass gain in one of the molasses-fed groups (Group 1), which tended towards significance. The results of the study indicate that the two batches of molasses had no endocrine disruptive or immunosuppressive effects in calves.

Keywords: Endocrine disruptive compound, endocrine disruptive syndrome, Holstein calves, sugar cane molasses

---

 

 

“Full text available only in PDF format”

 

 

REFERENCES

ALTON, G.G., JONES, L.M., ANGUS, R.D. & VERGER, J.M. (Eds). 1988. Techniques for the Brucellosis laboratory. Paris: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique.         [ Links ]

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (ARC). 2006. Livestock Business Unit. Annual Report 2005/2006. National Beef Cattle Improvement Scheme. Pretoria.         [ Links ]

ARTHINGTON, J.D. & PATE, F.M. 2002. Effect of corn- vs. molasses-based supplements on trace mineral status in beef heifers. Journal of Animal Science, 80:2787-2791.         [ Links ]

ASSOCIATION OF OFFICIAL ANALYTICAL CHEMISTS (AOAC). 2000. Official methods of analysis, 17th ed. Maryland, USA: Association of Official Analytical Chemist, Inc.         [ Links ]

BEAMES, R.M. 1959. A note on the effect of molasses on liver copper concentrations in cattle. Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 16:233-237.         [ Links ]

BREVINI, T.A.L., CILLO, F., ANTONINI, S. & GANDOLFI, F. 2005. Effects of endocrine disrupters on the oocyte and embryos of farm animals. Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 40:291-299.         [ Links ]

CLODE, S.A. 2006. Assessment of in vivo assays for endocrine disruption. Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 20:35-43.         [ Links ]

COETZER, J.A.W., THOMSON, G.R. & TUSTIN, R.C. (Eds). 1994. Infectious diseases of livestock with special reference to Southern Africa, 1^st ed. Cape Town: Oxford University Press.         [ Links ]

COHEN, J. 1988. Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences, 2^nd ed. Hillsade, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc.         [ Links ]

COLBORN T., DUMANOSKI D. & MYERS J. P. 1996. Our stolen future. New York: Plume Printing.         [ Links ]

COLBORN, T., VOM SAAL, A.M. & SOTO, A.M. 1993. Developmental effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals in wildlife and humans. Environmental Health Perspectives, 101:378-384.         [ Links ]

CRISP, T.M., CLEGG, E.D., COOPER, R.L., WOOD, W.P., ANDERSON, D.G., BAETCKE, K.P., HOFFMAN, J.L., MORROW, M.S., RODIER, D.J., SCHAEFFER, J.E., TOVART, L.W., ZEEMAN, M.G. & PATEL, Y.M. 1998. Environmental endocrine disruption: an effect assessment and analysis. Environmental Health Perspectives, 106:11-56.         [ Links ]

EERTMANS, F., DHOOGE, W., STUYVAERT, S. & COMHAIRE, F. 2003. Endocrine disruptors: effects on male fertility and screening tools for their assessment. Toxicology in vitro, 17: 515-524.         [ Links ]

GIRON, H.C. 1973. Comparison between dry ashing and wet digestion in the preparation of plant material for Atomic Absorption analysis. Atomic Absorption Newsletter, 12:28-29.         [ Links ]

GRAHAM, T.W. 1991. Trace element deficiencies in cattle. The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Food Animal Practice, 7:153-215.         [ Links ]

GRAY, L.E. Jr, KELCE, W.R., WIESE, T., TYL, R., GAIDO, K., COOK, J., KLINEFELTER, G., DESAULNIERS, D., WILSON, E., ZACHAREWSKI, T., WALLER, C., FOSTER, P., LASKEY, J., REEL, J., GIESY, J., LAWS, S., McLACHLAN, J., BRESLIN, W., COOPER, R., DI GIULIO, R., JOHNSON, R., PURDY, R., MIHAICH, E., SAFE, S. & COLBORN, T. 1997. Endocrine Screening Methods Workshop report: detection of estrogenic and androgenic hormonal and anti-hormonal activity for chemicals that act via receptor or steroidogenic enzyme mechanisms. Reproductive Toxicology, 11:719-750.         [ Links ]

GUILLETTE, L.J. Jr. 2000a. Contaminant-induced endocrine disruptors in wildlife. Growth Hormone & IGF Research, B: S45-S50.         [ Links ]

GUILLETTE, L.J. Jr. 2000b. Organochlorine pesticides as endocrine disruptors in wildlife. Central European Journal of Public Health, 8:34-35.         [ Links ]

IPCS (International Programme on Chemical Safety) STEERING GROUP 1998. Joint IPC/OECD Scoping Meeting on Endocrine Disruptors, 16-18 March 1998, Washington, DC, USA.         [ Links ]

ISHIHARA, A., SAWATSUBASHI, S. & YAMAUCHI, K. 2003. Endocrine disrupting chemicals: interference of thyroid hormone binding to transthyretins and to thyroid hormone receptors. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, 199:105-117.         [ Links ]

KAVLOCK, R.J., DASTON, G.P., DEROSA, C., FENNER-CRISP, P., GRAY, L.E., KAATTARI, S., LUCIER, G., LUSTER, M., MAC, M.J., MACZKA, C., MILLER, R., MOORE, J., ROLLAND, R., SCOTT, G., SHEEHAN, D.M., SINKS, T. & TILSON, H.A. 1996. Research needs for risk assessment of health and environmental effects of endocrine disruptors: a report of the U.S. EPA-sponsored workshop. Environmental Health Perspectives, 104:715-740.         [ Links ]

LAMB, J.C. 1996. Argument for the motion that endocrine disruptors pose a major risk to human health. Toxicology Letters, 88:12-13.         [ Links ]

LANGER, P., TAJTAKOVA, M., FODOR, G., KOCAN, A., BOHOV, P., MICHALEK, J. & KREZE, A. 1998. Increased thyroid volume and prevalence of thyroid disorders in an area heavily polluted by polychlorinated biphenyls. European Journal of Endocrinology, 139:402-409.         [ Links ]

LI, M.H. & HANSEN, L.G. 1996. Enzyme induction and acute endocrine effects in prepubertal female rats receiving environmental PCB/PCDF/PCDD mixtures. Environmental Health Perspectives, 104:712-722.         [ Links ]

LIPPMAN, M. & HUFF, K. 1976. A demonstration of androgen and estrogen receptors in a human breast cancer using a new protamine sulfate assay. Cancer, 38:868-874.         [ Links ]

MAUE, A.C., WATERS, W.R., PALMER, M.V., WHIPPLE, D.L., MINION, F.C., BROWN, W.C. & ESTES, D.M. 2004. CD80 and CD86, but not CD154, augment DNA vaccine-induced protection in experimental bovine tuberculosis. Vaccine, 23: 769-779.         [ Links ]

McDONALD, P., EDWARDS, R.A., GREENHALG, J.F.D. & MORGAN, C.A. 1995. Animal nutrition, 5^th ed. Harlow: Longman Scientific and Technical.         [ Links ]

MEIJER, G.A.L, DE BREE, J., WAGENAAR, J.A. & SPOELSTRA, S.F. 1999. Sewerage overflows put production and fertility of dairy cows at risk. Journal of Environmental Quality, 28: 1381-1383.         [ Links ]

NORRIS, D.O. & CARR, J.A. 2006. Endocrine disruption. Biological bases for health effect in wildlife and humans. New York: Oxford University Press.         [ Links ]

PERRY, T.W., CULLISON, A.E. & LOWREY, R.S. 1999. Feeds and feeding, 5^th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.         [ Links ]

POOL, E.J., JOHAAR, G., JAMES, S., PETERSEN, I. & BOUIC, P.J. 1998. The detection of pyrogens in blood products using an ex-vivo whole blood culture assay. Immunoassay, 19:95-111.         [ Links ]

POOL, E.J., ROBSON, P.J., SMITH, C., VAN WYK, J.H. & MYBURGH, K.H. 2002. In vitrointerleukin-6 release in whole blood cultures in samples taken at rest from triathletes and professional rugby players. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 87:233-237.         [ Links ]

PULS, R. 1994. Mineral levels in animal health: diagnostic data, 2^nd ed. Clearbrook: Sherpa International.         [ Links ]

RHIND, S.M. 2002. Endocrine disrupting compounds and farm animals: their properties, actions and routes of exposure. Domestic Animal Endocrinology, 23:179-187.         [ Links ]

RHIND, S.M. 2005. Are endocrine disrupting compounds a threat to farm animal health, welfare and productivity? Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 40:282-290.         [ Links ]

STATSOFT, INC. 2005. STATISTICA (data analysis software system), version 7.1. http://www.statsoft.com        [ Links ]

SWEENY, T. 2002. Is exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds during fetal/post-natal development affecting reproductive potential of farm animals? Domestic Animal Endocrinology, 23:203-209.         [ Links ]

TURQUE, P.T., PALMIER, K., LE MEVEL, S., ALLIOT, C. & DEMENEIX, B. 2005. A rapid, physiologic protocol for testing transcriptional effects of thyroid-disrupting agents in premetamorphic Xenopus tadpoles. Environmental Health Perspectives, 113:1588-1593.         [ Links ]

VAN KLEEF, M., MacMILLAN, H., GUNTER, N.J., ALLSOP, B.A., SHKAP, V. & BROWN, W.C. 2000. Identification of Cowdria ruminantium antigens that stimulate proliferation of lymphocytes from cattle immunized by infection and treatment or with inactivated organisms. Infection and Immunity, 68:603-614.         [ Links ]

VAN WYK, J.H., POOL, E.J. & LESLIE, A.J. 2003. The effects of anti-androgenic and estrogenic disrupting contaminants on breeding gland (Nuptial Pad) morphology, plasma testosterone levels and plasma vitellogenin levels in male Xenopus laevis (African clawed frog). Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 44:247-256.         [ Links ]

 

 

Accepted for publication 28 October 2008-Editor

 

 

* Author to whom correspondence is to be directed. E-mail: christo.botha@up.ac.za