Haematology and serum biochemistry of Uda rams fattened with diets containing graded levels of groundnut oil

Abstract

The study was conducted in Usmanu Danfodiyo University to determine the effects of groundnut oil on Haematology and serum biochemistry of fattened Uda rams. Four (4) dietary treatments were prepared; Treatment 1 which is the control, had no groundnut oil, while 2, 3 and 4 contained 15, 30 and 45 ml/kg groundnut oil. The results showed that except for packed cell volume, haemoglobin, MCV and MCH, which were significantly (p<0.05) higher on the control diet, no haematological index was influenced by dietary groundnut oil supplementation. Similarly, most of the serum biochemical parameters studied did not reveal any significant (p>0.05) effect of diet. However, total cholesterol was higher on T1 (1.74 mmol/l), T2 (1.72 mmol/l) and T3 (1.68 mmol/l), which were the same, than on T4 (1.41 mmol/l). High density lipoproteins for rams on T2 (0.85 mmol/l) and T3 (0.98 mmol/l) compared favourably with the control (0.60 mmol) which was lower than 1.25 mmol/l obtained on T4. It was therefore concluded that the supplementation of groundnut oil in the feed of fattening Uda rams at 45 ml/kg feed improves serum concentration of high-density lipoproteins (HDL).