EFFECT OF PLANTAIN LEAF (MUSA PARADISIACA) ETHANOLIC EXTRACT ON SERUM METABOLITES AND HAEMATOLOGY OF STRESSED RABBIT

Abstract

The haematological and biochemical evaluations serve as markers of the impact of nutrition or dietary components on the performance of the animal in terms of anti-stress. The search for non-pharmaceutical methods to reduce stress in animals, including rabbits, as opposed to utilizing pharmaceutical medications is the purpose of this study, hence to determine the impact of plantain leaves (Musa paradisiaca) ethanol extract on some serum metabolites and haematology of stressed rabbits. A total of 48 mixed breed weaner rabbits of average weight of 0.5 ± 0.1kg were randomly assigned into six treatments in a completely randomized design. T1, T2 and T3 were subjected to both social and physical stressors, after which plantain leaf ethanolic extract at dosages 500, 750 and 1000mg/kg, respectively, were administered. T4 and T5 were also subjected to same type of stressors. T4 was given 2mL of water and T5 was given vitamin C at the dosage of 500mg/kg. T6 was the control group for the experiment. Hematological and some serum parameters were measured. The result of the study revealed that the treatment was able to ameliorate the stress, such that the haematology of the stressed animal was the same as the control. The result also revealed that the treatment exerted various effect on the serum biochemical parameters studied. It was concluded that the treatment used in the experiment did not adversely affect the haematology, but ameliorated the effect of the stress, and had some impact on the serum parameters of the stressed animals.