EFFECT OF FEEDING BALANITE AEGYPTIACA ON THE HEAT STRESS ADAPTIVE RESPONSE OF UDA SHEEP

This work was designed to evaluate the use of acute phase protein as biomarker of stress in measuring nutrigenomic effect of balanite on the response of Uda Sheep to heat stress. This research was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, Department of Animal Science , Federal University, Gashua. Twelve (12) Uda rams age range between 8-12 months with average initial weight of 17kg were used for this work. Body weight, haematological parameters and biochemical parameters as negative acute phase proteins were measured. Treatments 3 (10 % balanite) and 4 (15 % balanite) reveled significantly (P < 0.05) higher body weights than treatments 1 and 2. There were no significant (p ˃ 0.05) differences in all serum biochemical parameters measured except in the Urea (p ˂ 0.05). Monocytes (MON), Neutrophils (NEU), atypical lymphocytes (ALY) and Basophils (BAS) where there were significant differences (P < 0.05). It is therefore, concluded that balanite has nutrigenomic effect and improved the adaptability of Uda and that urea could be used as biomarker of heat of stress.