Effects of Oral Administration of Artemisia Aqueous Extract and Vitamin E on Liver Function and Histology in Iraqi Local Lambs

Aims and Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of administering of Artemisia and Vitamin E on liver function and histological changes in local lambs. Materials and Methods: The experiment lasted for 90 days, from 1 April 2024, to 1 July 2024. Number of 30 male local lambs aged 4–4.5 months, with a mean weight of 21.3 ± 1.29 kg, were utilised. The animals were divided into six groups. Group 1 (control group) was left untreated. Group 2 received the Artemisia at a dose of 100 mg.kg body weight. Group 3 received the Artemisia at a dose of 200 mg. of body weight. Group 4 was given Vitamin E at a dose of 15 mg of body weight. Group 5 received a mixture of the Artemisia and Vitamin E (100 + 15 mg.kg), whereas Group 6 received a mixture of the aqueous extract of Artemisia and Vitamin E (200 + 15 mg/kg) daily. Results: The results revealed a significant improvement in liver function markers (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase) across all experimental groups versus the control group. As for the histological changes in the liver, it was observed that all experimental treatments led to the regularization of hepatic cell cords with a normal appearance of hepatocytes, the central vein, hepatic lobules, and the portal area, unlike the control group, which showed infiltration of mononuclear inflammatory cells. In conclusion that the use of Artemisia, Vitamin E, and their combination significantly improved the health performance of lambs through enhanced liver function. Conclusion: This improvement is attributed to the substantial role of the active components of Artemisia and Vitamin E.