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The expediency of replacing cost prohibitive and often inaccessible traditional protein supplements prompted the current investigation of blood biochemical profile and rumen fermentation pattern in local female goats (12) and rumen fistulated bucks (3), respectively fed supplements containing either a leaf meal mixture (LMTM) of Leucaena leucocephala-Morus alba-Tectona grandis (2:1:1) or traditional protein supplements groundnut cake (GNC) or soybean meal (SBM) and wheat straw as basal diet. The periodic monitoring of hematological parameters was carried out in female goats at 0, 30, 60 and 90 days post feeding. Rumen environment was studied in bucks in a 3×3 switch over design. Rumen liquor was collected at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h post feeding after 4 weeks of feeding. The goats fed on LMTM or GNC had similar dry matter intake (g/kg W 0.75 ), which was significantly (p<0.05) higher than SBM. Except for packed cell volume (PCV), none of the blood biochemical constituents (Hemoglobin, serum glucose, total protein, serum albumin (A) and globulin(G), A:G ratio, alkaline phosphatase, transaminases) varied significantly due to replacement of 50% dietary protein by LMTM throughout the experiment. GNC group had significantly higher level of PCV than other treatments. However, the level of serum total protein (p<0.01) tended to increase from 60th day onwards irrespective of dietary treatments. The average rumen pH was significantly higher (p<0.001) on SBM followed by LMTM and GNC, respectively. Total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) production was comparable in goats given LMTM or GNC supplements, the corresponding values were significantly different (p<0.001) when compared with SBM. The ammonical-N, total-N and TCA-precipitable-N (mg/100 ml SRL) did not differ significantly among dietary treatments. It may be concluded that supplementing wheat straw with LMTM based concentrate had no adverse effect on voluntary intake, blood biochemical profile and rumen fermentation pattern of the goats.

Objective: Pisonia aculeata, is traditionally used in treatment of liver disorder and thought to have a protective effect which may be beneficial to reduce symptoms of hepatotoxicity. The current study evaluated the scientific merit of these anecdotal claims in an in vivo model.Method: Male Wistar rats were administered 250 or 500 mg/kg of Pisonia aculeata extract for 21 days and simultaneously administered paracetamol 750 mg/kg every 72 h by daily oral gavage. At the end of all experimental methods, all the animals were sacrificed by cervical decapitation. Blood samples were collected. Serum was separated and analyzed for various biochemical parameters.Results: The plant extract showed a remarkable hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity against paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity as judged from the serum marker enzymes and antioxidant levels in liver tissues. Paracetamol induced a significant rise in aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin, gamma glutamate transpeptidase (GGTP), lipid peroxides (LPO) with a reduction of total protein, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione S-transferase (GST).Conclusion: Treatment of rats with different doses of plant extract significantly altered serum marker enzymes and antioxidant levels to near normal. The efficacy of the extract at dose of 300 mg/kg was comparable to the standard drug silymarin (50 mg/kg, p.o.). Data indicates a positive effect. More research is required to derive an optimal therapeutic dose.