Maternal physiological responses to oral neem leaf extract supplementation during late gestation in ewes

Abstract

This study investigated the hematological and serum biochemical responses of pregnant ewes administered Azadirachta indica leaf extract (NE) during late gestation. Twenty-four pregnant ewes were assigned in a Completely Randomized Design to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement comprising two sampling days (Day 1 and Day 30) and three Neem extract doses: 0 mL (NE0), 20 mL (NE20), and 40 mL (NE40), with three replicates per treatment. Blood samples were collected through the jugular vein on Days 1 and 30 and analyzed using an automated hematology analyzer and spectrophotometric kits. Data were subjected to analysis of variance using SAS 9.4, and means were separated by the Duncan multiple range test. Significant treatment effects were detected from the results for erythrocytes (P = 0.0187), mean corpuscular volume (P = 0.0032), glucose (P = 0.0002), total blood protein (P = 0.0269), monocytes (P = 0.0261), and eosinophils (P = 0.0453). Treatment × day interactions occurred for monocytes (P = 0.0261) and GGT (P = 0.0101). By Day 30, NE20 and NE40 ewes exhibited higher erythrocyte counts, reduced mean corpuscular volume, improved glucose preservation, and increased total protein relative to NE0, while liver and kidney biomarkers remained within physiological limits. These findings demonstrate that weekly administration of A. indica leaf extract at 20 mL/ewe is a safe and effective phytogenic strategy that enhances erythropoiesis, mitigates gestational hypoglycemia, improves protein status, and supports immune function without eliciting toxicity during late pregnancy.