Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM: The escalating demand for animal protein in Indonesia underscores the imperative for efficacious nutritional strategies to augment lamb productivity while safeguarding physiological integrity. Prior investigations have predominantly examined probiotics or herbal additives in isolation, yielding fragmented insights into their combined efficacy. This study endeavored to assess the integrated impacts of probiotic-herbal supplementation on growth performance, hematological indices, and serum biochemical profiles in local Indonesian lambs maintained on a concentrate-based ration, thereby furnishing comprehensive evidence on growth dynamics and physiometabolic safety. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve female local lambs, aged approximately 6-7 months with an initial body weight (BW) of 20.33 ± 2.24 kg, were allocated into two cohorts: a control group receiving solely the basal diet and a treatment group administered the basal diet supplemented with a probiotic-herbal formulation. The supplement comprised Lactobacillus sp. (1.00 × 10(7) CFU/mL), Aspergillus sp. (1.00 × 10(5) CFU/mL), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (5.25 × 10(7) CFU/mL), and Azotobacter sp. (8.20 × 10(6) CFU/mL), amalgamated with Curcuma longa and Curcuma xanthorrhiza (Herbal Farm, Sido Muncul, Semarang, Indonesia). The formulation was dispensed daily at 10 mL/L in drinking water over a 4-week duration following a 1-week acclimatization phase. BWs were quantified weekly utilizing a YDTech TCS-300 digital balance (Hangzhou Sifang Electronic Scales Co., Hangzhou, China). Blood specimens were procured post-treatment via jugular venipuncture into ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-anticoagulated tubes for hematological evaluation using a Sysmex automated analyzer (Sysmex Corporation, Hyogo, Japan), encompassing red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and packed cell volume (PCV). Serum aliquots were analyzed for lipid profiles (total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein [HDL], low-density lipoprotein [LDL]), hepatic enzymes (alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alkaline phosphatase [ALP], gamma-glutamyl transferase), and protein fractions (total protein, albumin [ALB], globulin [GLOB], ALB:GLOB ratio) employing Biocheck kits (Biocheck, Reeuwijk, Netherlands). Clinical metrics, including body temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and rumen motility, were monitored weekly. Data underwent Shapiro-Wilk normality assessment followed by Student's t-test for intergroup comparisons (p < 0.05) via JMP software version 18 (SAS Institute Inc., North Carolina, USA). Ethical oversight was provided by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada (approval 111/EC-FKH/Int./2025). RESULTS: Clinical parameters in both cohorts resided within physiological norms, with the treatment group manifesting enhanced stability in body temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and rumen motility relative to controls. Supplementation elicited a significant elevation in weekly weight gain (1.13 ± 0.63 kg versus 0.67 ± 0.31 kg; p = 0.00177), albeit final BWs were comparable (21.99 ± 2.59 kg versus 21.39 ± 2.99 kg; p > 0.05). Hematological indices (red blood cell: 8.86 ± 1.65 × 10¹²/L versus 9.90 ± 2.09 × 10¹²/L; hemoglobin: 9.07 ± 1.04 g/dL versus 9.94 ± 1.78 g/dL; PCV: 28.67 ± 4.88% versus 26.44 ± 5.84%) remained unaltered and normative. Lipid analyses disclosed diminished triglycerides (42.50 ± 33.61 mg/dL versus 65.67 ± 56.53 mg/dL; p = 0.049) and LDL (14.67 ± 6.41 mg/dL versus 23.71 ± 14.08 mg/dL; p = 0.037) in treated lambs, with total cholesterol and HDL unaffected. Hepatic enzymes and protein profiles exhibited no intergroup disparities, though ALP and AST surpassed conventional ranges in both, indicative of physiological adaptation rather than pathology. CONCLUSION: Probiotic-herbal supplementation incorporating C. longa and C. xanthorrhiza augments growth performance and ameliorates lipid metabolism in local lambs sans deleterious impacts on clinical, hematological, or hepatic profiles. These outcomes advocate its utility as a sustainable, antibiotic-alternative strategy for enhancing ruminant productivity and metabolic resilience in tropical contexts.