Impact of Linseed Oil Supplementation on the Biochemical Blood Parameters, Production and Milk Components during the Lactation Stage in Awassi Ewes.

This experiment was undertaken to study the effect of adding linseed oil on the biochemical blood parameters, production, and milk components of Awassi ewes. Sixteen Awassi dairy ewes at the second season of milk were used, aged 2-3 years, 60 ± 1.25 kg average weight. The ewes were randomly allotted to two groups, 6 ewes each group. The first group was considered as a control group (without addition) fed basal diet containing 1 kg of concentrated diet + 500 g wheat straw as rough ration, the second group: 1 kg of concentrated ration + 500 g wheat straw + 4% linseed oil was given to it. Blood samples were taken from the animals at the end of each month of the experiment and blood analyzes were performed on them and also the quantity and components of milk produced were measured twice a month during the experimental period (3 months of lactating stage). The results showed that the diet supplemented with linseed oil led to a significant (P=0.05) decrease in triglycerides, Low density lipoprotein LDL levels, and a significant (P=0.05) increase in the highdensity lipoprotein HDL at the end of the experiment, while there was no significant effect on the other biochemical blood parameters. The results also showed a significant (P=0.05) increase in the amount of total and daily milk production and milk fat percentage in treated group compared to control group, while there was no significant effect of the treatment on the other milk components. Accordingly, we conclude that the treatment with linseed oil led to an improvement in some of the biochemical characteristics of the blood, as well as an improvement and great benefit in the production of milk and some of its components through processing milk with unsaturated fatty acids, which lead to health benefits in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]