Effects of oral administration of lavender ( Lavandula angustifolia ) essential oil on growth performance, serum biochemistry and muscle fatty acid profile in Kangal Akkaraman lambs

This study aimed to determine the effects of the direct oral administration of lavender ( Lavandula angustifolia ) essential oil on the growth performance, blood serum biochemistry and muscle fatty acid profile of lambs. For this purpose, an experiment was designed where pure lavender oil was administered individually to each animal via a syringe (excluding the control group). The study was conducted over 63 d, including a 7 d acclimatisation period and a 56 d experimental period, utilising 36 male Kangal Akkaraman lambs (12 weeks old, with an average initial body weight of 27.26 ± 3.06 kg). The lambs were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (12 lambs per group) and fed the same basal diet ad libitum: Control (0 mg lavender oil per animal per day), Lav1000 (1000 mg lavender oil per animal per day) and Lav2000 (2000 mg lavender oil per animal per day). No statistically significant differences were observed among the groups regarding initial and final body weights, daily live weight gain, feed intake and the feed conversion ratio ( p > 0.05). Among the serum biochemical parameters, a statistically significant difference was detected exclusively in amylase and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels ( p < 0.05). In the fatty acid composition analysis, statistically significant differences were observed in cis-10-heptadecenoic acid, cis-11-eicosenoic acid and arachidic acid concentrations in the lavender-supplemented groups compared to the control group ( p < 0.05). In conclusion, determining the optimal dosage and administration method of lavender oil can provide critical insights for future research aimed at enhancing performance parameters, rumen fermentation, animal health and product quality in small ruminants.