Abstract :
This study examined the effect of administration of verbascoside on plasma oxidative status
and on specific blood and milk production parameters in Lacaune ewes during the
peripartum period. The trial, lasting 60 d, ran from 20 d before lambing until 40 d after
and was conducted on 40 ewes in their 5th month of gestation. The animals were divided
into two equal groups of 20: a control group CON, which did not receive food supplement,
and the experimental group V, which received a supplement of verbascoside in their
feed. Consumption of the supplement, which was 2 g/ewe/d, was assured by individual
and daily administration of feed. The animals received a pellet feed concentrate at a rate
of 400 g/ewe/d prepartum and 700 g/ewe/d postpartum. The ration was completed with
mixed hay ad libitum. The experimental measures included body weight; blood samples
20 d before lambing and 0 d, 20 d and 40 d after lambing; body condition score; individual
yield and quality of milk. The administration of verbascoside significantly improved
milk yield by 9.3% (P < 0.01), significantly decreased triglycerides, total cholesterol, lowdensity
lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine transferase (P < 0.01) and bilirubin (P < 0.05), and
increased high density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the parameters of
oxidative status in plasma were positively influenced by the use of dietary verbascoside,
which resulted in significant decreases in reactive oxygen metabolites (P < 0.01) and thiobarbituric
acid-reactive substances (P < 0.05) and increases in vitamins A and E (P < 0.01).The
use of verbascoside during the peripartum period provided benefits on some blood parameters,
oxidative status and milk production, particularly in the immediate postpartum period
(0–20 d).
