Effects of Lawsonia inermis L. leaves on growth performance, some blood parameters, and liver enzymes in Kermani lambs

Henna (Lawsonia inermis L.) leaves have unique medicinal properties like antibiotic ones due to the large amounts of phenolics such as tannins. To investigate the effects of feeding with henna leaves on performance, some blood parameters, and liver enzymes of 20 Kermani male lambs, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with five replications. Experimental treatments included (T1) basic diet (BD) (control), (T2) BD+30 g henna leaves (HL), (T3) BD+60 g HL, and (T4) BD+90 g HL. The results showed that although the treatments did not have significant effects on performance, but the highest and lowest amount of feed consumption and food conversion ratio were respectively observed in control and T4, as well as the highest and lowest amount of daily weight gain belonged to T4 and control, respectively. Glucose and blood urea nitrogen concentrations were not affected by the experimental treatments (P≥0.05). Cholesterol, triglyceride, and total protein concentrations were significantly increased with increasing henna leaf amount in the diet (P≤0.05). The lowest concentrations of liver enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were obtained in T3 (P≤ 0.05). Overall, it was revealed that using different levels of henna in the diet of Kermani lambs did not affect their growth performance and glucose, but significantly increased cholesterol, triglycerides, and total protein and decreased AST and ALT.