Brazilian Red Propolis effects on feedlot lambs hematological parameters

Brazilian Red Propolis (BRP) has shown innumerous benefic uses. It's effects on ruminant hematological parameters (HEM) are still pretty unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of BRP on HEM of feedlot lambs. The experiment occurred according to Animal Use Ethical Commission from the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL), under the protocol number 53/2015. Twenty-four non-castrated, 1/2 Dorper X 1/2 Santa In?s lambs with an average weight of 20.7 kg and 4-5 month old were used in a total randomized design. The total experimental period lasted 75 days, including a 15-day adaptation. Diets were composed of chopped Tyfton 85 (Cynodon spp.) hay plus corn meal, soybean meal and minerals (70:30, roughage:concentrate). Four treatments were tested: control diet; control diet with 1.0 g of Brazilian Red Propolis/animal/day; control diet with 1.5 g of Brazilian Red Propolis/animal/day; and control diet with 0.03 g monensin sodium/animal/day. Blood samples were collected 2 days before adaptation and 3 days before the end of experimental period from the jugular vena with vacutainer without coagulator, always two hours after morning feeding. The samples were immediately refrigerated and sent to the Nursing and Pharmacy College of UFAL and analyzed for: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glucose, amylase, albumin, triglycerides, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), globulin, urea, total protein and creatinine. Statistical analyses were made using GLIMMIX procedure of SAS, considering HEM before adaptation as covariate according to (Kaps and Lamberson, 2009) and the values were compared by Tukey-Kramer with ?=0.10. Urea levels were different (P=0,016) among treatments, but there was no difference (P>0,112) for: ALT, AST, glucose, amylase, albumin, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL, VLDL, LDL, globulin, total protein and creatinine, some of them below the average for this specie according to Pugh (2004). Once Propolis acts on proteic fermentation, its effect on urea level indicates that might be an improvement on nitrogen use, increasing efficiency. Levels of 1.0 and 1.5 g of Brazilian Red Propolis/animal/day have no toxic effect on feedlot lambs.