Effects of Breed, Sex and Source Within Breed on the Blood Bilirubin, Cholesterol and Glucose Concentrations of Nigerian Goats

Abstract

Effects of breed, sex and source within breed on the blood bilirubin, cholesterol and glucose concentrations of the Nigerian goats were studied using eighty-one yearly goats; comprising equal numbers of the Sahelian Goat (SG), Red Sokoto Goat (RSG) and West African Dwarf goat (WADG) breeds. The studies indicate that there were no significant breed differences in total serum bilirubin concentrations and the range of 0.63-0.65 mg/100 ml was observed. However, the conjugated (direct) bilirubin is generally lower in the male goats than in the female goats, while the unconjugated (indirect) bilirubin is higher in the male goats than in their female counterparts. Source within each breed exhibited no pronounced effects on the Sahelian goats; but had effects on the RSG and WADG breeds. The study further revealed that the Sahelian goat breed has the highest concentration of serum glucose and the lowest level of serum cholesterol; the reverse is the case for the West African Dwarf goats, while the Red Sokoto goats recorded moderate concentrations of both cholesterol and glucose in the serum. The serum cholesterol level in goat is inversely proportional to the glucose concentration.