Polyherbal feed additive for lambs: effects on performance, blood biochemistry and biometry

Figures & data

Table 1. Experimental diets and chemical composition of the experimental ration.

	Polyherbal^a, %
	0	0.1	0.2	0.3
Ingredients, %
Corn, grain	60.0	59.9	59.8	59.7
Corn, Straw	22.0	22.0	22.0	22.0
Soybean paste	7.0	7.0	7.0	7.0
Molasses	5.0	5.0	5.0	5.0
Corn, gluten	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0
Urea	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Mineral premix^b	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Sodium bicarbonate	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Polyherbal additive	0.0	0.1	0.2	0.3
Chemical composition, %
Dry matter	87.6	86.8	85.9	85.0
Ash	4.1	4.1	4.0	4.0
Crude protein	14.5	14.4	14.3	14.2
Neutral detergent fibre	22.1	22.0	21.9	21.9
Acid detergent fibre	12.7	12.6	12.6	12.6
Metabolizable energy, Mcal/kg	2.83	2.80	2.76	2.73

^aImmuPlus based on Withania somnifera, Tinospora cordifolia, Ocimum tenuiflorum and Emblica officinalis.

^bMineral premix: 27% calcium, 3% phosphorus, 0.75% magnesium, 4.2% sulfur, 6.5% sodium, 0.05% potassium, 978 mg/kg iron, 15 ppm cobalt, 5 ppm copper, 25 ppm zinc, 2.25 ppm molybdenum, 1 ppm selenium, 160 ppm iodine.

Table 2. Effect of a polyherbal additive dietary concentration on lamb productive performance and rumen fermentation.

	Polyherbal^a, % DM				SEM	p-Value
	0	0.1	0.2	0.3		Linear	Quadratic
Final weight, kg	32.57	37.02	35.47	33.30	1.650	0.95	0.07
Daily Intake, g/d	982.5	1147.2	1016.0	1004.1	71.30	0.80	0.24
ADG, g	241.2	334.8	282.0	246.8	0.023	0.72	0.01
Conversion ratio	4.23	4.48	3.69	4.12	0.250	0.90	0.02
Digestibility, %	83.10	85.02	85.14	85.06	0.914	0.15	0.28
Ruminal pH	7.08	7.08	6.94	6.87	0.082	0.05	0.67
Lactate, mg/mL	3.22	2.26	2.45	3.21	0.578	0.94	0.14
Ammonia-N, mg/dL	3.46	4.00	4.20	3.62	0.165	0.36	0.001
Acid Acetic, %	56.18	56.20	54.91	54.78	0.903	0.18	0.93
Acid Propionic, %	34.51	33.09	34.20	34.52	1.025	0.80	0.40
Acid Butyric, %	9.42	10.68	10.97	11.99	0.713	0.01	0.86
Total VFA, mmol/L	62.94	68.60	79.71	63.21	5.070	0.60	0.03

^aImmuPlus based on Withania somnifera, Tinospora cordifolia, Ocimum tenuiflorum and Emblica officinalis; SEM, Standard error of the mean; p, Probability; ADG, average daily gain; VFA, volatile fatty acids.

Table 3. Effect of a polyherbal additive dietary concentration on blood serum biochemistry of lambs.

Parameter	Polyherbal^a, % DM				SEM	p-Value
	0	0.1	0.2	0.3		Linear	Quadratic
Glucose, mg/dL	57.12	57.75	60.12	53.12	2.423	0.33	0.14
Urea, mg/dL	31.12	34.25	33.75	34.00	2.646	0.47	0.56
Uric acid, mg/dL	0.43	0.60	0.52	0.75	0.057	0.002	0.59
Creatinine, mg/dL	1.07	1.20	1.27	1.32	0.123	0.15	0.77
Total protein, g/dL	7.45	7.47	7.35	7.73	0.231	0.49	0.42
Albumin (A), g/dL	4.00	4.10	4.08	4.37	0.148	0.11	0.50
Globulin (G), g/dL	3.45	3.25	3.23	3.21	0.176	0.36	0.62
Ratio A/G	1.16	1.24	1.26	1.32	0.074	0.14	0.92
Cholesterol, mg/dL	85.7	89.3	90.6	83.6	3.907	0.78	0.18
Bilirubin, mg/dL	0.512	0.400	0.400	0.500	0.053	0.88	0.05
Alkaline phosphatases, UI/L	25.12	35.62	40.50	42.87	4.494	0.007	0.37
Lactate dehydrogenase, UI/L	79.75	77.37	89.00	91.25	6.362	0.11	0.71
Aspartate aminotransferase, UI/L	21.7	26.3	29.3	25.5	2.410	0.20	0.09
Calcium, mg/dL	8.55	8.47	9.00	9.01	0.309	0.17	0.89
Phosphorus, mg/dL	4.17	4.42	4.43	4.61	0.168	0.08	0.82

^aImmuPlus based on Withania Somnifera, Emblica officinalis, Ocimum tenuiflorum and Tinospora cordifolia; SEM, Standard error of the mean; p, probability.

Table 4. Effect of a polyherbal additive dietary concentration on blood cells of lambs.

	Polyherbal^a % DM				SEM	p-Value
	0	0.1	0.2	0.3		Linear	Quadratic
Haematocrit, %	32.43	32.17	31.78	29.87	1.756	0.30	0.63
Haemoglobin, g/dL	9.45	10.075	9.471	9.451	0.454	0.76	0.48
Erythrocytes, 10^6/mL	9.03	9.21	8.72	8.41	0.417	0.21	0.56
Mean corpuscular volume, fL	34.4	35.3	36.4	31.3	1.997	0.39	0.16
Mean corpuscular haemoglobin, pg	10.38	10.91	10.81	11.25	0.2156	0.01	0.85
Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, g/dL	30.38	31.57	30.17	32.12	0.9551	0.36	0.67
Platelets, 10^3/mL	712.0	751.1	700.7	581.2	39.835	0.02	0.06
White blood cell, 10^3/mL	19.4	25.9	21.3	19.9	4.012	0.83	0.32
Lymphocytes, 10^3/mL	54.1	51.1	45.4	60.8	3.369	0.34	0.01
Monocytes, 10^3/mL	4.0	4.8	3.1	4.3	0.721	0.84	0.81
Segmented Neutrophil, 10^3/mL	38.6	39.0	47.8	31.0	3.127	0.32	0.01
Band Neutrophil, 10^3/mL	2.0	1.8	1.7	2.1	0.411	0.90	0.52
Eosinophils,10^3/mL	1.25	2.37	1.87	1.25	0.757	0.88	0.27
Basophils, 10^3/mL	0.00	0.12	0.00	0.37	0.110	0.05	0.26
Plasma proteins, g/dL	8.62	8.85	8.77	9.27	0.244	0.10	0.58

^aImmuPlus based on Withania somnifera, Emblica officinalis, Ocimum tenuiflorum and Tinospora cordifolia; SEM, Standard error of the mean; p, Probability.