HAEMATOLOGY AND RELATIVE ORGAN WEIGHTS OF WEANLING WISTAR RATS FED DIFFERENT DIETARY SOURCES OF ANIMAL PROTEIN

Abstract

Nutritional values of ingested protein could be easily inferred from haematology and ensuing indices of utilisation like the animals’ relative weights of organs. Different protein sources will impact on blood cellular indices and weights of organ in varying manners. Thus, the relative quality of the different dietary animal protein sources on haematological indices and relative organ weights of male weanling Wistar rats was assessed in this study. In a completely randomised design, weanling rats (n=25) were randomly assigned to one of the five dietary treatments: T1-Casein-based diet, T2- Nitrogen-free diet (NFD), T3-Beef meal-based diet, T4- Catfish meal-based diet, and T5-Chicken breast meal-based diet. Dietary treatments and water were provided ad libitum to the rats. Blood (3mL) was sampled from each rat using jugular venipuncture into bottles containing EDTA for haematological analysis. At day 21 of feeding, internal organs of the rats were harvested, the relative weights of organ assessed using standard methods. Data on haematology, leucocyte differentials and weights of organ were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at α0.05. Rats on T5 (36.00%,
11.82g/dL, and 5.75 x106), had significantly (p<0.05) lower packed cell volume, haemoglobin, and red blood cell counts than those on T1 (42.20%, 14.02g/dL and 7.05x106), T3 (40.80%, 13.34g/dL and 6.87 x106) and T4 (41.6%, 13.64g/dL and 6.92 x106), respectively. The relative weights of the heart, spleen, kidneys, and lungs of rats were similar (p<0.05) across the treatments. Higher weight of lung was observed in T1 compared to other treatment groups (p<0.05). Haematology of rats fed chicken breast meal-based diet tended to be most favourable compared to beef meal or catfish meal based, however, there was no indication of the effect of treatments on the rats’ relative organ weights.