Effect of Berberine Supplementation on Haematological Variables in Growing Sahiwal Calves during Summer Stress
Pratibha Singh *
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, COVAS, SVPUAT, Meerut, UP, India.
Gulab Chandra
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, COVAS, SVPUAT, Meerut, UP, India.
R. K. Singha
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, COVAS, SVPUAT, Meerut, UP, India.
Koushlesh Ranjan
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, COVAS, SVPUAT, Meerut, UP, India.
Devesh Kumar Yadav
Department of Animal Genetics & Breeding, COVAS, SVPUAT, Meerut, UP, India.
Prem Sagar Maurya
Department of Veterinary Parasitology, COVAS, SVPUAT, Meerut, UP, India.
Prabhakar
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, COVAS, SVPUAT, Meerut, UP, India.
Debashis Roy
Department of Animal Nutrition, COVAS, SVPUAT, Meerut, UP, India.
Priyanka Rani
Department of Livestock Production Management, COVAS, SVPUAT, Meerut, UP, India.
Atul Kumar Verma
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, COVAS, SVPUAT, Meerut, UP, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study was designed to evaluate the effect of dietary berberine supplementation on the haematological profile of Sahiwal calves during the summer season. The study was conducted from April to July 2025. Twenty-eight growing Sahiwal calves (6-12 months old) were randomly assigned to four experimental groups, comprising three treatment groups and one control group (n = 7 per group), based on body weight and age. The basal diet was the same for all groups. Berberine was supplemented at doses of 0.0, 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5 g/kg DM over a 120-day experimental period. Total erythrocyte count and packed cell volume were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the treatment groups than in the control group, with the highest values observed in the groups receiving 1.0 and 1.5 g/kg DM berberine. The average values of haemoglobin, total leukocyte count, basophils, eosinophils and monocytes did not vary significantly (P > 0.05) among the groups. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with berberine at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 g/kg DM may serve as an effective nutritional strategy to maintain haematological homeostasis and enhance the physiological resilience of Sahiwal calves to the deleterious effects of summer heat stress.
Keywords: Berberine, Sahiwal calves, summer stress, haematological variables, haemoglobin, total leukocyte count, dietary supplementation, heat stress