INFLUENCE OF HERBAL ADDITIVE ON IMMUNE AND HORMONAL BALANCE OF PRE-PUBERTAL WEST AFRICAN DWARF GOATS UNDER TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT

This study evaluated the influence of dietary herbal additives on immune and hormonal balance in pre-pubertal West African Dwarf (WAD) goats reared under a tropical environment over a 26-week experimental period. Twenty (20) pubertal female West African Dwarf goats with an average age of one year were quarantined for 60 days, vaccinated against pestes des petits ruminants, and acclimatized before commencement of the trial. The animals were randomly assigned into four treatment groups and replicated five (5) times with five goats per treatment: T1- Feed containing no additive (Control), T2-10g of kolanut Pod /300g of feed, T3 - 10g of Tomato powder/300g of feed, T4- 5g of kolanut pod and 5g of tomato Powder/300g of feed. At the end of the trial, blood samples were collected via jugular vein for determination of immunoglobulins and hormones using standard assay procedures. The result revealed that immune and metabolic hormone levels showed no significant (p>0.05) difference among treatments. Luteinizing Hormone was significantly (p<0.05) higher in goats fed kolanut pod (T2), while Follicle Stimulating Hormone was highest (p<0.05) in the combination diet (T4). In this study, the herbal additives did not affect immune parameters and metabolic hormones; however, luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones significantly increased. It is therefore recommended that tomato powder and kola nut pod be incorporated as natural herbal additives.