Effect of Vitamin E Supplementation in Growing Kids Fed on Arsenic Containing Diet

Twelve crossbred goat kids (Alpine x Beetle) were divided into three equal groups. To meet the nutrient requirements, kids were fed concentrate mixture, berseem fodder and wheat straw as per NRC (1981). One group served as control (C) whereas, animals in groups T1 and T2 were supplemented with 50 ppm As and 50 ppm As with 50 IU vitamin E/kg DM, respectively. DM intake of the animals was recorded every day and body weight was taken weekly. Blood samples were collected at monthly intervals to estimate Hb, blood glucose, GOT, GPT, SOD, catalase and TBARS. The DMI/100 kg body weight was 3.42, 3.43 and 3.39 kg in C, T1 and T2 groups, respectively. Initial body weight (kg) of the kids was 10.50, 10.12 and 10.25 kg which increased to 14.75, 14.00 and 14.25 kg after 90 days of experimental feeding in C, T1 and T2 groups respectively, showing no adverse effect of As administration (P>0.05) on body weight gain. Blood Hb and glucose levels were also not affected by dietary treatments (P>0.05). However, the activities of GOT, GPT (units/ml plasma) and TBARS (nmole/ml of plasma) increased significantly (P<0.05) in T1 indicating the adverse effect of As supplementation, while vitamin E supplementation reduced arsenic effect in T2 and their levels were close to that of control. It was evident that adverse effect of arsenic can be counteracted by vitamin E administration.