ArticleTropical animal health and production2026
Periparturient alpha-lipoic acid supplementation improves ewe antioxidant status, colostrum quality, and lamb growth.
Article in Tropical animal health and production, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA) is a potent antioxidant with potential to enhance ruminant health and productivity, yet its effects in late-pregnant ewes are not well defined. This study evaluated α-LA supplementation (600 mg/day) from 60 days prepartum to 8 weeks postpartum on blood biochemistry, immunity, colostrum and milk composition, microbiological quality, and lamb performance in Egyptian ewes. Thirty ewes were randomly allocated to control or α-LA groups (n = 15). On day one postpartum, α-LA ewes had higher serum albumin (2.87 vs. 2.45 g/dL), globulin (2.76 vs. 2.58 g/dL), total protein (5.64 vs. 5.04 g/dL), and total antioxidant capacity (29.97 vs. 28.19 mM/L; p ≤ 0.01). Elevated immunoglobulin A persisted at 4 weeks (80.20 vs. 73.40 ng/mL; p = 0.02). Lambs from supplemented ewes showed greater IgA (135.40 vs. 89.00 ng/mL; p = 0.04), glutathione peroxidase (29.16 vs. 20.51 U/mL; p < 0.05), TAC (56.48 vs. 31.80 mM/L; p < 0.01), and higher birth (4.52 vs. 3.84 kg) and weaning weights (7.39 vs. 6.00 kg; p < 0.01). Colostrum from α-LA ewes contained more fat (16.75 vs. 7.98%), protein (8.91 vs. 6.66%), and total immunoglobulins (21.47 vs. 5.84; p < 0.01), while both colostrum and milk had reduced bacterial counts and prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., and Bacillus cereus. In conclusion, periparturient α-LA supplementation improved maternal immunity, antioxidant capacity, colostrum and milk quality, and lamb growth. Further research should determine optimal dosing, assess long-term impacts on milk yield, and explore its integration into mastitis control programs.
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