Hematological and Serum Biochemical Responses of Red Sokoto Goats Fed Diets Containing Differently Processed Neem (Azadirachta indica) Leaf Meal

Abstract

This study evaluated the haematological and serum biochemical responses of Red Sokoto goats fed diets containing differently processed neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf meal. Twelve Red Sokoto bucks, aged 8–10 months and averaging 8.5 kg body weight, were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design, with three goats per treatment. Treatments consisted of a control diet (T1) and diets containing neem leaf meal processed by boiling (T2), toasting (T3), and sun-drying (T4). The feeding trial lasted 12 weeks following a 14-day adaptation period. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected to determine haematological and serum biochemical indices. Packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cell count, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, white blood cell count, neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils and basophils were not significantly (p > 0.05) affected by dietary treatment. However, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume and monocyte count differed significantly (p < 0.05). Serum total protein, urea, albumin, globulin, sodium, potassium and bicarbonate were not significantly(p < 0.05) affected, whereas creatinine and alkaline phosphatase showed significant (p < 0.05) treatment effects. The stability of most haematological and serum biochemical indices suggests that processed neem leaf meal did not broadly disrupt the physiological status of the goats. However, the elevated creatinine observed in the sun-dried treatment warrants further investigation. In conclusion, processed neem leaf meal showed potential as an alternative feed ingredient for Red Sokoto goats, although processing method should be carefully considered when incorporating neem leaf meal into goat diets.