Use of nutraceutical functional oil in the control of coccidiosis in confined lambs

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of functional oil in the diet of lambs as a substitute for monensin in the control of coccidiosis. For this purpose, 34 lambs were distributed into three treatments: control (CONT – without additive), functional oil (FO - 495 mg of commercial powder mix composed of cashew nut oil and castor oil/kg dry matter (DM) of the concentrate), and monensin (MON - 12.5 mg/kg DM of the concentrate). The experimental period lasted 61 days, with fecal examinations of the animals carried out on days 0, 14, 28, 41, and 55 of the experimental period. Except for day 0, in all other collections, the lambs in the FO group presented a higher OPG value (p ≤ 0.05) compared to the lambs in the MON group. In the collection on day 28, a greater difference was observed between the groups, with the animals that received FO presenting 827 OPG, while those that received MON presenting zero. For this reason, a reduction in body weight and average daily body weight gain was noted in lambs of the FO group from this collection until the end of the experiment, with a statistical difference (p ≤ 0.05) between the two groups. These two groups also presented higher eosinophil and leukocyte counts, and alterations in the small intestine mucosa. Thus, the inclusion of 495 mg of a mix composed of cashew nut oil and castor oil/kg of DM of the concentrate was not effective in controlling coccidiosis in confined lambs.