Abstract

Eighteen Awassi lambs (4 month old; mean BW 23.8±1.3 kg) were used in a 60 days trial to investigate the effects of naringin supplementation on performance and physiological responses of heat stressed lambs. The experiment was undertaken during the period of summer months of Saudi Arabia. The lambs were individually housed in a shaded pen and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: 0 (control), 1 and 2 g of naringin which was weekly administered as an oral dose of naringin (Naringin 98%; Blackburn Distribution, UK). Feed intake was measured weekly and lambs were weighed on days 1, 15, 30, 45 and 60. Blood were collected on days 1, 30 and 60 for measurement of concentrations of metabolic profile. Oral administration with 1 g naringin resulted an increase in ADG (5.2%; p<0.02), a greater gain to feed ratio (17.1%; p<0.05) compared with those in other groups. Lambs receiving orally administered 1 g naringin had a greater (p<0.03) serum concentration of albumin and less (p<0.01) creatinine concentration than non-treated lambs. These results indicate that naringin supplementation has reduces the adverse effects of heat stress and important implications for the sheep industry.