Impact of Betaine and Folic Acid Supplementation on Thermoregulatory Responses, Blood Characteristics and Lactation Performance of Baldi Goats, and The Growth Performance of their kids | ||||
Egyptian Journal of Veterinary Sciences | ||||
Articles in Press, Corrected Proof, Available Online from 01 June 2025 PDF (975.32 K) | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
DOI: 10.21608/ejvs.2025.371384.2803 | ||||
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Authors | ||||
Ahmed Soliman ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||
1Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, New Valley University, Al kharga city, New Valley, Egypt | ||||
2Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Assiut Branch,71524, Egypt | ||||
3Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Environmental Agricultural Sciences, Arish University. Al-Arish, North- Sinai, Egypt. | ||||
Abstract | ||||
This work aimed to find the influence of betaine (Bet) and folic acid (FA) on milk production, hemato-biochemical parameters, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of goats during heat stress. Goats (N=40) were equally categorized into control, Bet, FA, and Bet-FA groups. The control group was fed a basal diet, whereas the Bet and Bet-FA groups were supplemented with 4 g/h/d Bet, and the FA and Bet-FA groups were supplemented every other day with 500 μg/animal folic acid. Pulse rate (PR), respiration rate (RR), skin temperature (ST), and rectal temperature (RT) were recorded. Blood samples were collected to estimate hemato-biochemical parameters, hormonal profile, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Results showed that BT and FA led to a significant decrease (P<0.05) in RT, ST, RR, and PR. While the concentration of hemoglobin (HB) increased (P<0.05) in all treated groups. BT and FA increased significantly total proteins (TP), while decreasing (P<0.05) alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) levels. The levels of aspartate aminotransaminase (AST) exhibited a significant reduction (P<0.05) in Bet, FA, and Bet-FA groups. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in Bet, FA, and Bet-FA groups was higher (P<0.05) than the control group. Additionally, Bet, FA, and Bet-FA have increased (P<0.05) milk yield, milk fat% and milk protein% % compared to control. In conclusion, Bet, FA, and Bet-FA supplementation in the goats’ diet significantly improved their performance and better mitigating the heat stress during the hot season. | ||||
Keywords | ||||
Folic acid; Betaine; Heat stress; Blood biochemical; Goats | ||||
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