Clinico-Nutritional Studies on the Use of Rosemary and/or Basil Leaves Powder to Investigate the Likelihood of Overcoming Some Metabolic and Health Problems in Rottweiler Dogs

Abstract

This study was carried out in two parts. Step one, an experimental feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the impact of some dietary phytogenic additives (Rosmarinus officinalis and /or Ocimum basilicum) leaves powder on food palatability, growth performance parameters, health status, immune response and antioxidant status, and their possibility to be used as a promising clinic-nutritional management tool to overcome body weight problems, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, hepatic and renal dysfunction in Rottweiler dogs. This step was divided into 4 separated studies (52 days for each one). Each study included forty five (45) Rottweiler dogs (mixed sex) whose were assigned into 5 equal experimental groups each subdivided into 3 replicates (3 dogs/ replicate). Animals were fed on locally processed extruded (iso-nitrogenous equi-caloric of the same fiber content) diets formulated based on energy distribution recommendation of AAFCO. The first (G1) was fed on basal diet only without any additives and served as negative control, the second (G2) was fed on the same diet fortified with a commercial synthetic palatant (liquid form; Synthite company) at a rate of 1% and served as positive control group, the third (G3) was fed on the same diet fortified with 0.05% Rosemary leaves powder, the fourth (G4) was fed on the same died fortified with 0.05% Basil leaves powder and the diet of the fifth group (G5) was fortified with equal amounts of both Rosemary and Basil leaves powder (0.025% each). Dogs were housed in individual kennels; (1 × 1.2 m) and had access to an outside kennel (10 × 20 m) for exercise. Concerning growth performance parameters: Results revealed that (G2) surpassed all groups in terms of actual food intake (96.34 vs. 95%, 88.44% and 77.69%) for groups (G5, G4 and G3) respectively. On the other hand, G5 recorded the lowest refusal food amount (5% of total served amount) followed by G4 (11.55%), while dogs fed on rosemary fortified diets (G3) exhibited the highest refusal food amount (22.3%). Regarding the body weight change; G4 and G5significantly increased body weight gain by (3.04 ± 0.17 and 4.62 ± 0.04 kg) respectively, while dogs fed on (G3) exhibited pronounced weight loss (2.08 ± 0.38 kg).