INFLUENCE OF ORGANIC ANTIOXIDANT FOR MILK YIELD AND SERUM BIOCHEMISTRY IMPROVEMENT IN LACTATING COWS: A PANACEA TO FOOD INSECURITY IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The research was conducted to evaluate the effect of organic antioxidant (baobab fruit pulp meal) supplementation on milk yield and serum biochemistry improvement in lactating cows as panacea to food insecurity in Nigeria. A total of 16 clinically healthy lactating Bunaji cows on their first and second parity were used for the research. The experimental cows were allotted to four dietary levels: 0.00, 5.30, 10.60 and 15.90 kg/100kg diet of baobab fruit pulp meal with four animals per treatment in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The treatments were administered once daily before milking and lasted for 120 days. Milk yield was measured and recorded on daily basis from the experimental animals throughout the period of the study. Blood samples (10 ml) were collected once from the experimental cows via jugular venipuncture using 18-gauge needle mounted on 20 ml syringe for biochemical analysis using standard laboratory procedures. The data collected were subjected to analysis of General Linear Model of SPSS software.  The result revealed that, milk yield parameters differed (P < 0.05) significantly.  Second parity had recorded higher total milk yield (2,018.71 litres) than first parity (1,897.21 litres). Experimental animals under diet 3 (15.90 kg/ 100kg diet) had produced large volume of total milk yield as compared to control group. The result further indicated a significant (P < 0.05) difference on serum biochemistry indices of the experimental cows. In conclusion, baobab fruit pulp meal supplementations significantly improved milk production yield from (1,413.60 to 2,057. 16 litres). Based on the result of this study, it is recommended that, baobab fruit pulp meal as organic antioxidants with high concentrations of vitamin C, could be supplemented in the diet of lactating cows up to 15.90 kg/100 kg diet without deleterious effect.