Effect of supplementation of Terminalia arjuna on physiological responses of lactating goats to natural summer stress

Abstract

The increasing demand for small ruminants’ products owing to urbanization, growing human populations and developing economies, paralleled by frequent hot climate are serious threats for the agriculture sector. The adverse effects of heat stress increases morbidity and mortality rates, affects the performance of animals, and results in great economic losses. The present study explored the effect of increase in temperature humidity index on physiological response of beetle goats under summer stress and evaluated the therapeutic effect of Terminalia arjuna supplementation in its alleviation. Goats were exposed to two different levels of temperature humidity index. Rectal temperature and respiration rate were significantly greater at higher THI than at low THI but no significant effect was observed in heart rate of goats. However, with the supplementation of Terminalia arjuna there was reduction in rectal temperature in summer stressed goats from 39.02 ± 0.11to 38.67 ± 0.08, respiration rate from 29.91 ± 1.09 to 27.95 ± 0.72 and heart rate from to 88.54 ± 1.13 to 86.95 ± 0.84. The results suggest Termialia arjuna is supplementation as cardio-protective agent and may play a role in alleviation of adverse effects of summer stress on physiological response.