Abstract
Experiments were performed with the aim of investigating the effect of 12 hr road transportation on erythrocytes of goats during the hot-dry season, and the modulatory role of ascorbic acid. Forty Red Sokoto goats aged 2.5–3 years, weighing 23–25 kg and belonging to both sexes served as subject of the study. Twenty of the goats served as experimental group and were administered ascorbic acid (AA) per os at a dosage rate of 100 mg/kg body weight; while 20 others served as controls and were given 10 ml each of sterile water. Forty minutes after the administration and loading, the goats were transported for 12 hr. EDTA blood samples collected before loading, after loading, immediately after transportation and subsequently on the 3rd and 7th days of post-transportation were used to determine red blood cell (RBC) count, packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF), haematimetric (intrinsic) indices and haemoglobin index levels. The obtained results showed that handling, loading and transportation of the control goats induced significant (P<0.05) increases in RBC, Hb, EOF, hypocromic erythrocytes, and a decrease (P<0.05) in the volume and the average Hb content in RBC. AA administration ameliorated all these changes. The present results suggest that 12-hr road transportation during the hot-dry season could induce serious stress, resulting into haemolysis of erythrocytes, which was ameliorated by AA administration. In addition, the result demonstrated that EOF could be used as a diagnostic tool in road transportation stress.
