Abstract Introduction: In recent years, the use of natural compounds, particularly medicinal plants, as alternatives to chemical additives in animal nutrition has attracted considerable attention. Myrtus communis is among the medicinal plants with multiple bioactive constituents, including flavonoids, tannins, essential oils, and phenolic acids, which may influence the physiological performance of livestock.Objectives: Given the limited experimental studies on the effects of Myrtus communis leaves in ruminants, this study was designed to investigate the effects of different inclusion levels (2.5% and 5% of dietary dry matter) of Myrtus communis leaves on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, blood metabolites, and liver enzymes in Kermani sheep.Methods: Fifteen one-year-old male Kermani lambs with an average body weight of 32.2 ± 2 kg were randomly assigned to three experimental groups: control (without Myrtus leaves), treatment 1 (2.5% Myrtus leaves), and treatment 2 (5% Myrtus leaves). The experimental period consisted of 14 days of adaptation followed by 7 days of sampling. Data were analyzed using a completely randomized design, and treatment means were compared using Tukey’s test at a 5% significance level.Results: feed intake was significantly higher in treatment 1 than in the treatment 2 and control groups, whereas the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, NDF, ADF, and crude protein was not affected by the treatments. Blood metabolites and hematological indices showed no significant differences among the groups. AST levels in treatment 2 were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05), and ALT levels were significantly higher in both treatment groups than in the control group.Conclusion: The observed increase in liver enzyme activities, particularly AST and ALT, suggests a potential risk of hepatic stress. Therefore, the use of Myrtus communis leaves in sheep nutrition should be approached with caution, and further studies are recommended to determine safe inclusion levels and evaluate their long-term effects.
Rafeiei, M. , Bahrampour, J. , Barazandeh, A. and Badakhshan, Y. (2026). Effects of dietary inclusion of myrtle leaves (Myrtus communis) on feed intake, digestibility, and some blood and hematological parameters in Kermani sheeps. Veterinary Research & Biological Products, 39(2), 69-78. doi: 10.22092/vj.2026.370908.2252
MLA
Rafeiei, M. , , Bahrampour, J. , , Barazandeh, A. , and Badakhshan, Y. . "Effects of dietary inclusion of myrtle leaves (Myrtus communis) on feed intake, digestibility, and some blood and hematological parameters in Kermani sheeps", Veterinary Research & Biological Products, 39, 2, 2026, 69-78. doi: 10.22092/vj.2026.370908.2252
HARVARD
Rafeiei, M., Bahrampour, J., Barazandeh, A., Badakhshan, Y. (2026). 'Effects of dietary inclusion of myrtle leaves (Myrtus communis) on feed intake, digestibility, and some blood and hematological parameters in Kermani sheeps', Veterinary Research & Biological Products, 39(2), pp. 69-78. doi: 10.22092/vj.2026.370908.2252
CHICAGO
M. Rafeiei , J. Bahrampour , A. Barazandeh and Y. Badakhshan, "Effects of dietary inclusion of myrtle leaves (Myrtus communis) on feed intake, digestibility, and some blood and hematological parameters in Kermani sheeps," Veterinary Research & Biological Products, 39 2 (2026): 69-78, doi: 10.22092/vj.2026.370908.2252
VANCOUVER
Rafeiei, M., Bahrampour, J., Barazandeh, A., Badakhshan, Y. Effects of dietary inclusion of myrtle leaves (Myrtus communis) on feed intake, digestibility, and some blood and hematological parameters in Kermani sheeps. Veterinary Research & Biological Products, 2026; 39(2): 69-78. doi: 10.22092/vj.2026.370908.2252
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