Effect of feed supplementation with olive oil on serum testosterone, triiodothyronine, thyroxine and some biochemical metabolites in teddy goat bucks

Teddy is highly proliferative goat breed, as female of this breed are famous for high twining rates. Feed supplementation of olive oil has been shown to improve semen quality of goat bucks. In this study, the effect of feed supplementation with olive oil on serum testosterone, triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and some biochemical metabolites in teddy goat bucks were investigated. For this purpose, 9 adult male goats, with clinically normal reproductive tract, were randomly separated into by three equal assemblies A, B and C. Animals in Cluster A were fed control ration (control group), whereas goats in group B and C were nourished with complemented 15 and 30 ml Olive oil, respectively, in morning daily for 8 weeks. Blood was collected weekly from each experimental animal and analyzed for serum testosterone, T3 and T4 concentration through ELISA. Similarly, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose were determined using commercially available kits. Results revealed that serum concentrations of testosterone, T3 and T4 were higher (P<0.05) in bucks of groups B and C compared to those of control group. However, differences in concentration of these hormones between bucks of the former two groups were non-significant. Among biochemical metabolites, serum ALT, total cholesterol and triglycerides differed significantly (P<0.05) among three groups, with highest in control group and lowest in group C. Serum AST activity was also lower in bucks of assembly B and C than control, but, changes between groups B and C were non-significant. Similarly, the treatment had no effect on serum glucose concentrations. Based on results of the present studies, it was concluded that feed supplementation of olive oil improves semen quality and libido of Teddy goat bucks. However, its effects on health biomarkers and fertility rates of buck may be investigated before making any recommendation.