IMPACT OF LEMONGRASS (CYMBOPOGON CITRATUS) AND ROSELLE (HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA) ON BLOOD METABOLITES AND FECAL ANTICOCCIDIAL EFFECT OF SAIDI EWES

Abstract

Twenty-eight pregnant Saidi ewes were assigned to 4 treatments to study the influence of dietary Lemongrass and Roselle on blood metabolites, antioxidant status and anticoccidial effect. The experiment lasted for 75 days (15 before parturition and 60 after parturition). The treatments were: (1) CON group, animals received control diet without additives, consist of concentrate mixture (CM) and wheat straw; (2) LG group, animals fed control diet plus 4g Lemongrass/ kg dry matter (DM) of CM: (3) RO group, animals fed control diet plus 4g Roselle /kg DM of CM and (4) LGRO group, animals fed control diet plus (2g Lemongrass +2g Roselle)/kg DM of CM. Blood and feces samples were taken at the end of the trial to determine some of blood metabolites and parasitic number. Dietary LGRO decreased (P<0.05) plasma protein and albumin while the ewes fed LG had the highest (P<0.05) concentration of globulin. Plasma creatinine concentration was lower (P<0.05) in treatment groups compared to CON group. There was a significant increase in plasma cholesterol concentration of LG and RO groups, while LGRO group had the lowest concentration of plasma total cholesterol (P<0.05) compared with other ones. Also, feeding with LG and LGRO had negative effect on the level of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase enzymes. Ewes fed RO had the highest (P<0.05) level of LDH enzyme compared with other groups. Dietary RO decreased (P<0.05) triioidothyronine (T3) concentration, while LGRO groups tended to increase (P<0.05) T4 concentration. Dietary LG and RO improved (P<0.05) total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) compared to CON group. Heavy infection was detected with Coccidia in the fecal samples of control group compared to LG and RO groups, while tented to have less quantity of oocysts output in LGRO group. It could be concluded that the addition of LG or RO in the diets may improve some blood metabolites, antioxidant status and immune response of Saidi ewes.