Pycnogenol improves kinematic parameters of donkeys (Equus asinus) subjected to packing during the dry season
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Date
2022
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Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, Nigeria
Abstract
The administration of pycnogenol (PYC) prior to physical exertion had earlier shown to
improve gait variables after work. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of
PYC on kinematic parameters of donkeys subjected to packing during the dry season.
Ten male donkeys served as experimental subjects. Five donkeys were administered
with PYC (10 mg/kg) in feed (test group) while another five donkeys were given feed
only (control group) for one week pre-packing. Thermal environmental parameters of
ambient temperature (AT), relative humidity (RH) and temperature humidity index (THI)
were recorded. Kinematic parameters of speed (SP), stride length (SL), stride frequency
(SF) and stride duration (SD) using videographic recordings 5 minutes post-packing with
each animal walking at a self-selected speed were recorded. The THI values obtained
pre- (95.4 ± 3.9) and during (85.3 ± 1.6) packing in the cold-dry season were significantly
lower than the values of 148.8 ± 1.8 and 134.8 ± 1.1, respectively obtained during the
hot-dry season. The speed recorded in test group (2.0 ± 0.3 m/s) was significantly (P <
0.05) higher when compared to the value (1.3 ± 0.2 m/s) obtained in control group
during the hot-dry season while, during the cold-dry season, the test group recorded a
significantly (P < 0.05) higher speed (1.3 ± 0.3 m/s) when compared with 1.0 ± 0.2 m/s
recorded in control group.The increased speed recorded in the test group indicated that
the group performed better as they were less fatigued when compared with the control
group. Thus, PYC could be used as a potential agent in the management of fatigue in
donkeys used for packing purposes in the region.
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Keywords
Donkey, Humidity, Packing, Performance, Walking gait
Citation
Donkey, Humidity, Packing, Performance, Walking gait