Influence of Organic Moringa oleifera Leaves Supplemented during Gestation and Lactation Periods: Modulation of Production Efficiency, Blood and Metabolic Parameters of Ewes and Lambs in Subtropics
Influence of Organic Moringa oleifera Leaves Supplemented during Gestation and Lactation Periods: Modulation of Production Efficiency, Blood and Metabolic Parameters of Ewes and Lambs in Subtropics
Aiman Al-Mufarji, Shaker Al-Suwaiegh, Abd El-Nasser Mohammed*
ABSTRACT
Recent attention has been grown to investigate ing Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) effects on productive and reproductive performances in mammals. The aims of the current study were designed to explore the effects of Moringa oleifera leaves given to ewes during prepartum and postpartum periods on thermo-tolerance responses, body weight gain, ovarian structures growth, blood and metabolic profiles of ewes and resulting lambs in subtropics. Fifteen ewes of body weight 49.1 ± 1.86 kg/head and 2.50 years old were allotted using complete random design to control and two M. oleifera groups (50.0 and 100.0 g/day). Relative humidity and ambient temperature were recorded and the temperature humidity index (THI) was calculated. Body weights of ewes and resulting lambs (kg) were recorded during the prepartum and postpartum periods. The small, medium and large ovarian follicles were recoded postpartum on day 18, and corpora lutea (CL) were recorded on day 21. Collection of blood samples from ewes and lambs were performed at -8 weeks and -4 weeks pre-partum, parturition, +4weeks, and +8weeks postpartum. The blood samples were analyzed for blood and metabolic profiles, liver enzymes, and minerals. The results indicated that ewes suffered from thermal stress during the study and the stress was alleviated due to M. oleifera supplementation. The body weight of ewes (p<0.05) and lambs (p>0.05) were higher in M. oleifera group compared to the control one. Ovarian structures’ development was higher in M. oleifera groups if compared to the control group. M. oleifera supplementation resulted in significant improvement in hematological (RBCs, Hb, Ht, WBCs, neutrophils, and lymphocytes) and plasma parameters (total protein, albumin, globulin, glucose, urea, and minerals) of ewes and lambs. It could be concluded that M. oleifera leaves supplementation to pregnant ewes from eight weeks prepartum to eight weeks postpartum might be ameliorative for both productive and reproductive performances of ewes through modulating thermo-tolerance responses, blood and plasma parameters in subtropics.
Keywords | Moringa oleifera, Growth, Blood, Metabolites, Follicles
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March 2023
Vol. 11, Iss. 3, Pages 355-516
