Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.15, No.3,2016
Proceeding of 5th International Scientific Conference,College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Basrah,Iraq
219
STUDY EFFECT OF MEDICINAL PLANT MYRTUS COMMUNIS ON
SOME BLOOD BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS ON ARABI SHEEP
Kolsom Salehpour*, Tahereh Mohammad abadi** and Mohammad R. Ghorbani***
*Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Technology,
Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Khouzestan, Ahvaz, Mollasani,
Iran
**Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Technology,
Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Khouzestan, Ahvaz, Mollasani,
Iran
***Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Technology,
Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Khouzestan, Ahvaz, Mollasani,
Iran
Keywords:Myrtus communis, Arabi sheep, Blood parameters, Essential oil
ABSTRACT
Myrtus communis(myrtle) is rare medicine plant that exist in limited areas in Iran and the
world. Essential oil of myrtle leaf is containing terpinolene, cineole,linalool,terpineol and
linalyl acetate. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of myrtus communis leaf
on some blood parameters of Arabi sheep. Eight sheep with 9month’s age and average weight
32±1.5 kg were fed with control diet (30:70 forage to concentrate without myrtle leaf) and
diet containing 4% myrtle leaf for one month. In the end of experiment, blood samples were
taken and some metabolites were measured. The results of this experiment showed diet
containing 4% myrtle leaf significantly reduced blood urea, triglyceride and glucose of
sheeps in compared with the control diet. But the blood cholesterol value of sheeps did not
affected by inclusion of myrtle leave. Therefore, according to the effect of phytochemicals of
myrtus communis leaf on decreasing blood parameters, it seems to be used by 4% in Arabi
sheep diet.
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.15, No.3,2016
Proceeding of 5th International Scientific Conference,College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Basrah,Iraq
220
INTRODUCTION
The use of medicinal plants in recent years has been receiving serious attention from
veterinarians around the world. Medicinal herbs are used in various forms in all groups of
animals (cattle, poultry, fish and bees) (1).Medicinal plant extracts are combination of secondary
metabolites and usually composed of terpenoids and phenols that improve the utilization of
nutrients in ruminants and can influence blood parameters (2).Myrtleplantis rare plant that exist
in limit areas in Iran and the world. It is almost fleshy fruits, containing numerous seeds, dark
blue oval and has a sweet taste and is astringent. Essential oil of myrtle leaf is containing
terpinolene, cineole,linalool, terpineol and linalyl acetate (3). Among the active ingredients in the
myrtle plant, can imply to phenolic acids such as galic acid, vanillic acid and ferulic acid; tannins
such as galotannin and flavonoids such as myricetin, catechin and quercetin(4).Myrtle leave was
used traditionally in the treatment of respiratory malformations, bronchitis, sinusitis, diarrhea and
hemorrhoids in Algeria (5).The studies showed that myrtle essential oils are used greatly as a
food preservative and traditional medicine (6).Researchers showed that secondary metabolites of
medicinal plants havehypoglycemic properties and reduce cholesterol and other lipids (7).The
information about using of myrtle leaf in animal nutrition is rare. The aim of this experiment was
to study the effect of medicinal plant Myrtus communison some blood biochemical parameters of
Arabi sheep.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this experiment,8 Arabi sheep with 6 month’s age and average weight 32±1.5 kg were
used. Animals were fed with control diet (30 % forage and 70 % concentrate without myrtle
leaf) and diet containing 4% myrtle leaf for one month.At the end of the period, blood
samples of sheeps were taken three hours after the morning feedingvia jagular vein,
centrifuged and plasma was separated. Glucose, urea, cholesterol and triglycerides of blood
were measured by using Autoanalyzer (model, BS200). The data was used to analysis as a
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.15, No.3,2016
Proceeding of 5th International Scientific Conference,College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Basrah,Iraq
221
completely randomized design using the General Linear Model (GLM) procedure of SAS
software, version 9.1.Theduncanemultiple range test(8) was used to compare means at P<
0.05.
RESULTS
The results showed,diet containing 4% myrtle leaf significantly reduced blood urea, triglyceride
and glucose of sheep when compared with the control diet(P<0.05). But the blood cholesterol
value of sheeps did not affect by inclusion of myrtle leave (P<0.05).The cholesterol content for
control diet and diet with myrtle leaf was 46.75 and 45.50 mg/dl, respectively.
Table (1):Blood metabolites of sheep fed with a diet containing the myrtle leaf (mg/dl)
Treatments Triglyceride Glucose Cholesterol Urea
Control(diet without myrtle) 19.25a 100.50a 46.75 38.87a
Diet with myrtle 14.75b 97.75b 45.50 30.22b
SEM 0.381 0.489 0.395 0.677
P-value 0.0003 0.0073 0.0677 0.0001
SEM: Standard error of means, Means with letters within each column differed significantly (P<0.05).
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.15, No.3,2016
Proceeding of 5th International Scientific Conference,College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Basrah,Iraq
222
DISCUSSION
Our results showed that using 4% myrtle leaf in diet of sheep significantly reduced blood urea,
triglyceride and glucose (p<0.05), but inclusion of myrtle leave did not affect the blood
cholesterol. The concentration of blood urea nitrogen function is due to concentration of rumen
ammonia. The possible reasons for loss of blood urea by myrtle leaf is that the secondary
metabolites of medicinal plants decrease degradability amino acids by microorganisms in the
rumen and ammonia decrease (9).In consistent of results of this trial, studies showed that
flavonoids of plants caused to reduce plasma glucose because they influence rumen fermentation
of bacteria and alter the volatile fatty acids concentration (10).Also it is reported that adding
ofscrophularia striataplant (containing linalool and quercetin) to the diet reduced blood glucose
of sheep(11). Purslane flavonoids (containing quercetin) also showed the glucose reduce
(12).Researches has shown that adding purslane (containing quercetin) to the diet of Turkish
qashqai lambs reduced plasma concentration of triglyceride (12).Research results have shown
that flavonoids, alkaloids and pectin in medicinal plants have hypoglycemic properties. It also
seems that medicinal plants and their extracts are effective in reducing cholesterol and other
lipids in the blood because of the production of enzymes that break down bile, reduce the pH of
intestinal tract and inhibit the activity of beta hydroxy methyl glutaryle-COA (7).
CONCLUSION
Therefore, the results of this experiment showed phytochemicals of myrtus communis leaf
decreased blood urea, triglyceride and glucose and had not any effect on cholesterol, so it may be
used about 4% in Arabi sheep diet.
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.15, No.3,2016
Proceeding of 5th International Scientific Conference,College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Basrah,Iraq
223
REFERENCES
1. Allen, M.; Schoen, S. and Wynn, G.(1998). Complementary and altrnative veterinary
medicine. Mosby. Inc. U.S.A.
2. Vakili, A.R.; Khorrami, B.; Danesh Mesgaran, M. and Parand, E.(2013). The effects
of thyme and cinnamon essential oils on performance, rumen fermentation and blood
metabolites in Holstein calves consuming high concentrate diet. Asian-Aust J.Anim.
Sci. 26: 935-944.
3. Barazandeh, M.M.(2001). Identification of essential oil components of myrtle (myrtus
communis. L). Iran j.Medicinal Aromatic. 6: 115-127.
4. AidiWannes, W.; Mhamdi, B.; Sriti, J.and Marzouk, B.(2010). Changes in essential
oil composition of Tunisian Myrtus communis var. italica during its vegetative cycle.
J. Essential Oil Res. 22: 13–18.
5. Beloued, A.(1998). Plantes medicinales d’Algerie Office des publications
universitairesAlgiers.
6. Bouzabata, A.; Bazzali, O.; Cabral, C.; Goncalves, M.J.; Cruz, M.; Bighelli, A.; Tomi.
F.and Salgueiro, L.(2015). Myrtus communis L. as source of a bioactive and safe
essential oil. J.Food and Chem. Toxic. 75: 166–172.
7. Popovic, M.; Kaurinovic, B.; Trivic, S.; Mimica-Dukic, N. andBursac, M.(2006).
Effect of celery (Apium graveolens) extracts on some biochemical parameters of
oxidative stress in mice treated with carbon tetrachloride. Phyt. Res. 20:531-537.
8. Duncan, D.B.(1955). Multiple range test and multiple F tests. Biometric. 11: 1-42.
9. Wanapat, M.; Mapato, C.; Pilajun, R. and Toburan, W.(2011). Effects of vegetable oil
supplementation on feed intake, rumen fermentation, growth performance and carcass
characteristic of growing swamp buffaloes. Livest. Sci. 135:32-37.
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.15, No.3,2016
Proceeding of 5th International Scientific Conference,College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Basrah,Iraq
224
10. Li, W. L.; Zheng, H. C.; Bukuru, J. and De Kimpe, N.(2004).Natural medicines used
in the traditionalChinese medical system for therapy of diabetesmellitud. J.
Ethnopharmacology. 92: 1-21.
11. Rezaei, F.(2014).Investigating the effect ofScrophularia striata Boisson fermentative
and rumen microbial digestion of Lori-Bakhteyari sheep. Thesis of Masters Science
Animal nutrition. Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University of
Khouzestan. Iran. (In Farsi).
12. Safari, H.; Mohiti, M. and Dejamkhoei, M.(2014). The effect of different levels of
dried powder of purslane on blood metabolites of fattening lambs. 6the Animal
Sciences Congress, University of Tabriz. (In Farsi).
