Serum lipid profiles and atherogenic index in pregnant sahel goats : public health implications

SERUM LIPID PROFILES AND ATHEROGENIC INDEX IN PREGNANT SAHEL GOATS: PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS 1 1 2 DAUDA YAHI, NICHOLAS ADETAYO OJO, GIDEON DAUDA MSHELIA Background: Goat meat is very popular and has a great demand all over Nigeria. However, the slaughter of pregnant goats in abattoirs and slaughter slabs for meat is becoming a serious concern not only for future livestock population, but also for public health. Dyslipidaemia of pregnancy in meat animals may constitute threat to consumers in terms of cardiovascular risks. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the concentrations of serum lipids at different stages of gestation in Sahel goats and to evaluate the atherogenic capacity of the lipid profile. Materials and Methods: Serum lipids profiles and atherogenic indices in pregnant and nonpregnant Sahel goats were studied. Fourteen apparently healthy adult Sahel goats comprising 12 does with mean gestation length of 148.33 ± 1.52 days and 2 bucks were used for the study. They were managed in the University of Maiduguri livestock research farm on low fat diet. Sera samples were collected biweekly for 5 months and were used for the analysis of total Cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL-c), low density lipoprotein (LDL-c) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL-c). Atherogenic indices were calculated as base 10 log (TG/HDL-c). Results: Serum TG and VLDL-c concentrations increased significantly (p < 0.05) in pregnant does compared to non-pregnant. HDL-c and LDL-c concentrations did not vary significantly (p > 0.05) between the two groups. Atherogenic indices increased progressively with advancing pregnancy compared to non-pregnant. Conclusion: It was concluded that atherogenic capacity of the lipid profile in pregnant Sahel goats is high and therefore consumption of meat from pregnant animals has high potential for atherogenic risk. Routine antemortem inspection should be conducted at abattoirs to identify pregnant animals for restriction against slaughter. Legislation prohibiting the slaughter of pregnant animals should be enforced. particularly for direct consumption. Goat meat (chevon) constitutes the major and cheapest source of meat consumption for most 1 households in Nigeria . It is very popular all over Nigeria and has a great demand in 2,3,4 restaurants and hotels . This may not be unconnected with the relatively cheaper cost of goats compared to other animals. Among the main goat breeds in Nigeria, Sahel goat breed is found more predominantly in the Northern Nigeria, particularly in the arid Sahel 5 region of the country . Nevertheless, excess consumption of high amounts of saturated fatty acids or fat found in some categories of Department of Veterinary Physiology, Pharmacology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria; 2 Department of Veterinary Surgery and Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. DAUDA YAHI eMail:Tel:+2348037811882 Correspondence to: yahidauda@gmail.com ORIGINAL ARTICLE Borno Medical Journal Vol. 13 Issue 1 Page 1 January June 2016 INTRODUCTION Meat constitutes the foremost animal product that is highly explored by Nigerians This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License