INFLUENCE OF DIETARY PROCESSED NIGERIAN Balanites aegyptiaca FRUITS ON SOME BIOCHEMICAL, HAEMATOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICES IN SWINE.

Abstract

Dietary effects of Nigerian processed Balanites aegyptiaca fruits on biochemical, haematological and physiological parameters in swine were investigated. Twenty weaner pigs were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments consisted of conventional diet, 20% Balanites fruits treated by boiling, roasting, boiling and roasting, boiling and fermenting, respectively, in a 4-week feeding trial. Results showed that the treated test feedstuff did not affect serum creatinine, blood glucose, serum protein albumin, respiratory rate and pulse rate, or the activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (p 0.05) but affected (p <0.05) those of blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, urine urea or urine creatinine, aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and acid phosphatase (ACP). The packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb) and the white blood cells (WBC) differential counts such as neutrophils, monocytes were similar (p>0.05) while the red blood cells (RBC),WBC, mean corpuscular  haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), platelets and the lymphocytes were significantly influenced by the test feedstuff (p<0.05). It was concluded that Balanites aegyptiaca, roasted or boiled followed by fermentation and included at 20% level could serve a useful alternative feedstuff for monogastric animals considering most of the positive results obtained.