ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Effects of Sulfur Fertilization on Antioxidant
Capacity of Wumeng Semi-Fine Wool Sheep
in the Wumeng Prairie
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1
School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621000, China
2
State Engineering Technology Institute for Karst Desertification Control, Guizhou Normal University,
Guiyang 550025, China
3
World Bank Poverty Alleviation Project Office in Guizhou, Southwest China, Guiyang 550004, China
Submission date: 2020-11-16
Final revision date: 2021-01-09
Acceptance date: 2021-01-25
Online publication date: 2021-06-11
Publication date: 2021-07-29
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(5):3919-3926
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ABSTRACT
To assess the impact of sulfur(S) fertilization on antioxidant capacity of grazing Wumeng semifine
wool sheep in copper(Cu) polluted meadow, and explore the control methods of Cu pollution in
natural pasture, fertilizer treatment and grazing experiments were carried out in Weining County of
the Wumeng Prairie, Guizhou Province, Southwest China. 24 ha Cu-polluted meadows were fenced,
and randomly divided into four groups (3 replications/group, 2 ha/replication): 1) control group, no
fertilizer; 2) the tested groups, applied ammonium sulfate [(NH4)2SO4] (300, 400, and 500 kg/ha for
group I, group II, and group III, respectively). A total of 72 healthy Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep
(aged one year, 32.8±1.3 kg) were used in this study. All animals were randomly divided into 4 groups
(3 replications/group, 6 sheep/replication) and assigned to the tested pastures. The grazing experiment
lasted for 60 days. The results showed that the contents of N, Mn, Zn, and S in herbage in fertilized
pastures were markedly higher than those in control group (P<0.01). The contents of Cu, Fe, and Se
in herbage in fertilized pastures were significantly lower than those in control group (P<0.01). There
were no extreme differences among the fertilized pastures (P>0.05). The contents of Mn, Zn, and S
in serum and liver in the tested sheep were significantly higher than those in control animals (P<0.01).
The contents of Cu, Fe, and Se in serum and liver in the tested sheep were extremely lower than those
in control animals (P<0.01). The levels of Hb, RBC, and PCV in blood in the tested sheep, and the
activities of serum SOD, GSH-Px, T-AOC, CAT, and Cp in the tested sheep were extremely higher
than those in control sheep (P<0.01). The contents of serum MDA in the tested sheep were significantly
lower than those in control animals (P<0.01). There were no great differences among the tested groups
in physiological and biochemical parameters (P>0.05). The current results indicated that fertilization of (NH4)2SO4 not only markedly influenced the mineral contents of herbage, and samples of blood and
liver, but also extremely improved antioxidant capacity in grazing animals from fertilized pastures.