Dietary supplementation with canola and clove oils on digestibility, growth performance, physiological responses, and meat quality in Boer goats

Functional plant oils with antimicrobial, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities present a sustainable alternative strategy against the misuse of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP). Clove oil contains large amounts of eugenol bioactive compound, while canola oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and tocopherols that can boost animal performance and product quality. This study investigated the influence of dietary supplementation with canola or clove oil, as well as their blend, on protein and organic matter digestibility, growth performance, meat quality, and blood parameters in growing goats. Thirty, male Boer goats (21 ± 1.45 kg live-weights) were assigned five dietary treatments, each with six replicates, for two months in a completely randomized design. The diets were a standard goat grower diet without AGP and oils (NEGCON), NEGCON with flavomycin AGP but no oil (POSCON), NEGCON with 2.0% canola oil (CN20), NEGCON with 2.0% clove oil (CL20), and NEGCON with a blend of 1% canola and 1% clove oils (CNCL20). Results showed that bucks fed diets CN20 and POSCON had higher (P < 0.05) total weight gain than bucks fed CNCL20. In addition, bucks fed the CL20 diet had higher (P < 0.05) meat crude fat (CF) compared to bucks on POSCON and CNCL20, while the CN20 and NEGCON groups had intermediate CF levels. Diets CN20 and CL20 lowered (P < 0.05) haematocrits, haemoglobin, and mean corpuscular volume, but diet CNCL20 increased serum glucose compared to NEGCON. It was concluded that dietary supplementation with 2% canola oil produced better outcomes than the clove oil and the blended treatment groups. • Diet with 2% canola oil (CN20) increased total weight gain compared to the blended treatment (CNCL20). • Diet with 2% clove oil (CL20) increased meat fat content without affecting growth performance. • Higher total weight gain in the CN20 group indicates its potential as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. • A combination of canola and clove oils (CNCL20) reduced total weight gain.