Using lactoferrin and N-acetylcysteine to augment the growth rate and hemato-biochemical parameters of Egyptian Baladi goats kids

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of lactoferrin (LF) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on the growth rate and immune response of Egyptian Baladi goats. Thirty-five goat kids (2.765 ± 0.135) were comprised seven groups, each with five individuals. The control group received neither LF nor NAC. The subsequent groups received daily doses at 50 mg, 100 mg, or 200 mg NAC. Similarly, the other groups were administered LF at 50 mg, 100 mg, or 200 mg per day. Biweekly assessments were used to measure the weight and daily weight gain (DWG) of the offspring. Additionally, blood samples were collected every 20, 40, and 60 days post-treatment for hemoglobin, total leukocyte counts, and subtypes. Additionally, blood serum was analyzed for total protein, albumin, globulin, creatinine, and alanine aminotransferase levels. The findings showed significant enhancements in the DWG, hemoglobin concentration, total leukocyte count, and various white blood cell types in the groups treated with LF and NAC compared to those in the control group. Notably, the group receiving LF at 200 mg/ml exhibited the most significant improvements with control and other level of LF. LF at 50 mg/ml/day resulted in higher total protein, albumin, and creatinine levels than did both the control and the other treatments with similar dose of 50 mg/mg/day of NAC. Administration of either LF or NAC notably enhanced the growth rate and blood parameters compared to those of the control group. In conclusion, our findings underscore the potential of daily LF and NAC administration during the weaning phase for Egyptian Baladi goat kids to enhance their immune response and accelerate their growth rate.

Keywords:

• Antioxidants
• Baladi goat
• hematology
• immunity
• liver functions
• welfare

REVIEWING EDITOR:

• Pedro Gonzalez-Redondo, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain

SUBJECTS:

• Agriculture & Environmental Sciences
• Plant & Animal Ecology
• Zoology
• Immunology
• Biotechnology
• Nutrition
• Food Additives & Ingredients

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the support of the Animal science department, faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University; Laboratory reagents used during the study were provided by the Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene and Management Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University.

Authors’ contributions

All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Mohamed E. El-Sharawy, Yasser S. Hussein, Abdelhamid Saeed Abo El-Enin, Ahmed SH. Shams, Rashed A. Alhotan, Elsayed Osman Hussein, Branislav Galik, Kamal M.A., Ahmed A. Saleh, Soliman M. Soliman, Sara Mahmoud Omar, Tarek A. Ebeid, Ahmed M. I. Mustafa, Ibrahim Atta Abu El-Naser. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Mohamed E. El-Sharawy, Kamal M.A., Ahmed A. Saleh, Sara Mahmoud Omar, Tarek A. Ebeid, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All the authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical statement

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Local Experimental Animals Care Committee and conducted following the guidelines of Cairo University, Egypt (no. Vet CU 25122023860).

Data availability statement

The data presented in this study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This research has been supported by the Researchers Supporting Project (grant no. RSPD2024R581) and King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Notes on contributors

Mohamed E. El-Sharawy

Mohamed E. El-Sharawy PhD in animal physiology, Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt.

Yasser S. Hussein

Yasser S. Hussein PhD in animal physiology, Animal Production Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, 12618, Egypt.

Abdelhamid Saeed Abo El-Enin

Abdelhamid Saeed Abo El-Enin PhD in animal physiology, Animal Production Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, 12618, Egypt.

Ahmed S. H. Shams

Ahmed S. H. Shams PhD in animal breeding, Animal Production Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, 12618, Egypt.

Rashed A. Alhotan

Rashed A. Alhotan PhD in animal nutrition, Department of Animal Production, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P. O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.

Elsayed Osman Hussein

Elsayed Osman Hussein PhD in poultry nutrition. AlKhumasia for Feed and Animal Products Riyadh- Olaya - Al Aqareyah 2 - Office 705 PO 8344, Riyadh 11982.

Branislav Galik

Branislav Galik PhD in animal nutrition Institute of Nutrition and Genomics, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia. Trieda A. Hlinku 2, 94976 Nitra.

M. A. Kamal

M. A. Kamal PhD in animal nutrition Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, 11221, Giza, Egypt.

Ahmed A. Saleh

Ahmed A. Saleh PhD in poultry nutrition Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh 33516, Egypt.

Soliman M. Soliman

Soliman M. Soliman PhD in animal nutrition Department of Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, 11221, Giza, Egypt.

Sara Mahmoud Omar

Sara Mahmoud Omar PhD in animal and human nutrition Nutrition and Food Science Department, Faculty of Home Economics, AL-Azhar University, Egypt.

Tarek A. Ebeid

Tarek A. Ebeid PhD in poultry physiology Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh 33516, Egypt.

Ahmed M. I. Mustafa

Ahmed M. I. Mustafa PhD in animal nutrition Animal Production Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, 12618, Egypt.

Ibrahim Atta Abu El-Naser

Ibrahim Atta Abu El-Naser PhD in Animal, Poultry and Fish Department of Animal, Poultry and Fish Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Damietta University, 34517, Egypt