Effect of Supplementing Milk Replacer with Boswellia serrata Resin on Growth Performance, Serum Biochemical Profile, and Meat Quality of Suckling Lambs

This study investigated the effects of supplementing a commercial milk replacer with <i>Boswellia serrata</i> resin (BSR), a natural frankincense extract rich in boswellic acids that possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, on the growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, and meat quality of suckling lambs. Twenty-four Assaf lambs were randomly assigned to three groups (<i>n</i> = 8 per group): natural suckling (NS), milk replacer (MR), and MR supplemented with BSR (MR+BSR). The experimental period lasted 60 days, during which growth performance and blood indices were evaluated, followed by meat quality assessment at the end of the trial. Lambs reared artificially (MR and MR+BSR) showed greater growth performance than naturally suckled lambs, as evidenced by significantly higher final body weight (<i>p</i> = 0.003) and average daily gain (<i>p</i> = 0.002), while initial body weight did not differ among treatments (<i>p</i> = 0.881). Within the artificially reared groups, however, BSR supplementation did not further increase growth relative to milk replacer alone. Supplementation with BSR improved the health and metabolic profile of lambs, resulting in higher serum total protein (<i>p</i> < 0.001), albumin (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and globulin (<i>p</i> < 0.001) concentrations. Moreover, BSR supplementation reduced the increase in aspartate aminotransferase (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and alanine aminotransferase (<i>p</i> < 0.001) activities observed in the MR group. No significant differences were detected in meat proximate composition (<i>p</i> > 0.05). However, meat from the NS group was significantly harder (<i>p</i> = 0.002) and more cohesive (<i>p</i> = 0.003) than meat from lambs fed MR or MR+BSR. In addition, the MR+BSR group produced meat with a higher redness (a*) value (<i>p</i> = 0.041), indicating an improved color quality. In conclusion, supplementing milk replacers with BSR enhanced the physiological and biochemical health of suckling lambs and enhanced specific meat quality traits, suggesting its potential as a natural functional additive in artificial rearing systems.