Dietary Curcumin Powder Supplementation Improves Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Nitrogen Utilization, Rumen Fermentation, and Plasma Antioxidant Activity in Meat Goats

This study evaluated the effects of dietary curcumin powder supplementation on growth performance, nutrient intake and digestibility, nitrogen utilization, rumen fermentation, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and plasma antioxidant activity in meat goats. Twenty-four crossbred male goats (Thai native × Anglo-Nubian; initial body weight, 25.80 ± 2.06 kg) were assigned to four dietary treatments containing 0, 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5% curcumin powder in the concentrate. Dietary curcumin powder supplementation significantly affected final body weight and nutrient intake and produced dose-dependent responses in apparent nutrient digestibility and nitrogen utilization. In contrast, dietary treatment did not significantly affect the major rumen fermentation variables or BUN. Plasma ABTS and DPPH radical-scavenging activities showed significant linear responses to increasing curcumin supplementation at 2 and 4 h after feeding. Overall, these findings indicate that dietary curcumin powder supplementation was associated with greater final body weight and nutrient intake, dose-dependent changes in nutrient digestibility and nitrogen utilization, and increased plasma ABTS and DPPH radical-scavenging activities in meat goats, whereas the major rumen fermentation variables and BUN were not significantly affected by dietary treatment.