Hemato-biochemcial characteristics of lambs on dietary feed additives (exogenous fibrolytic enzymes, Artemisia absinthium Linn.) supplementation

Dietary composition affects blood metabolic profile of farm animals. Hemato-biochemical indices serve as clinical indicators for the impact of dietary manipulations on physiological health status. To augment sheep productivity in temperate regions by improving animal health conditions, the present study was undertaken to assess the effect of supplementation of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (EFE) cocktail and Artemisia absinthium L. (commonly known as wormwood) herb alone and in combination as feed additives on blood metabolic profile in lambs. Crossbred lambs (n = 20) divided into four equal groups of five in each and fed for 90 days followed by 6 days of metabolism trial on oat straw-based complete feeds supplemented with either EFE cocktail (T1) @ 6 g/kg DM or wormwood herb (T2) @ 4.5% of DM or a combination of the two (T3) and complete feed without any supplementation served as control (T0). Hemato-biochemical parameters of all the animals were studied at 0-, 30-, 60-, and 90-day intervals. The feed additives supplementation improved the nutritive value of diets; however, the significant (P < 0.01) effect for percent digestible crude protein and digestible energy were with T3 where combination of enzymes and herb was applied, whereas higher (P < 0.05) percent total digestible nutrients were recorded in groups supplemented with wormwood herb (T2 and T3) compared to control. Feed additive supplementations did not change significantly the mean observations of red blood cell (except hematocrit) and platelet indices, total blood cell counts, energy metabolic profile, serum total cholesterol and total triglycerides, serum total proteins, serum albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, serum creatinine, and uric acid levels; however, feed additive supplementation have a significant positive effect on differential WBC counts, high-density lipoproteins (P < 0.05), low-density lipoproteins, atherogenic index, serum globulin, and albumin: globulin ratio and serum urea nitrogen (P < 0.01) levels among the treatment groups. The hemato-biochemical metabolic profile of feed additive-supplemented lambs revealed better physiological health status compared to un-supplemented animals. Supplementations of EFE cocktail, wormwood herb, or their combination improved the nutritive value of diets without any adverse effects on hematological and blood biochemical parameter suggesting supplementation of the feed additives for successfully raising lambs intensively.