Open AccessAscorbic acid influenced respiratory and drinking responses in pack donkeys during harmattan
Author(s) -
Folashade Helen Olaifa,
Suleiman Folorunsho Ambali,
D Rekwot
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
savannah veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2636-6150
DOI - 10.36759/svj.2017.010
Subject(s) - ascorbic acid , donkey , equus asinus , zoology , veterinary medicine , equidae , respiratory system , horse , biology , medicine , food science , ecology , paleontology
Donkeys (Equus asinus, Perissodactyla) are inevitably exposed to environmental stress during work. They are commonly used for work during the harvest periods which coincide with harmattan in northern Nigeria. Experiments were performed to investigate the effect of ascorbic acid on respiratory and drinking responses of donkeys subjected to packing during harmattan.Methods: Twelve apparently healthy donkeys served as subjects. Six donkeys administered orally with ascorbic acid and subjected to packing were used as test animals, while another six donkeys, not administered with ascorbic acid, served as controls. The respiratory rate, drinking responses and thermal environment parameters were evaluated before packing, during packing and after packing.Results: The peak value (83.40 ± 6.9) of temperature humidity index (THI) was recorded at 30 min after-packing. The respiratory rate (RR) value recorded at 30 min post-packing in the control donkeys was higher (p 0.05) different.Significance: Ascorbic acid (AA) reduced post-packing RR and drinking frequency, which gave credence to the anti-stress property of AA in the donkeys. Thus AA may have ameliorated the adverse effect of work stress during the stressful harmattan.