Assessment of the Ameliorative Effect of Vitamin A on Heat Stress Using White Albino Mice

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Biofortification of food and food addictives with vitamin A is basically aimed at improving vision and or preventing the occurrences of vision related diseases. This usually entails the inclusion of a defined amont of the said micronutrient in a target food. Thus, fortification of animal feed with vitamin A to ameliorate heat stress and increase animal production is possible if the ideal concentration of the said micromutrient is determined for inclusion. Therefore, Aim: this study aims at assessing the ameliorative role of vitamin A (retinol) in the management of Heat Stress (HS). MATERIALS AND METHOD: Thirty adult male albino mice were divided into six (6) groups of five (5) rats per groups. Methodology: Group I was the normal control and was not exposed to heat stress.While groups III and IV were exposed to 57 mw/cm2 of solar radiation at 37oC, groups V and VI were exposed to 98 mw/cm2 of solar radiation at 47oC. Exposure to solar radiation lasted for 21 days during which groups II, III-VI were administered 30 mg/kg body weight of vitamin A for 21 days as well. RESULTS: Feed intake for groups III-VI was significantly (p<0.05) lower than that of groups I and II. Finial body weights for groups III-VI were significantly (p<0.05) lower than the initial body weight. Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substance (TBARS) for groups III-VI was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of groups I-II. CONCLUSION: It can be deduced from this study that 30 mg/kg of vitamin A did not ameliorate varying magnitudes of heat stress studied.