# Effect of Supplementing Milk Replacer with Boswellia serrata Resin on Growth Performance, Serum Biochemical Profile, and Meat Quality of Suckling Lambs

## TL;DR

Adding frankincense resin to milk replacer improved lamb growth, blood health, and meat color without affecting meat tenderness.

## Contribution

Demonstrates Boswellia serrata resin as a natural supplement to enhance lamb health and meat quality in artificial rearing systems.

## Key findings

- Lambs fed milk replacer (with or without resin) grew faster than naturally suckled lambs.
- BSR supplementation improved serum protein levels and liver function indicators.
- Meat from BSR-supplemented lambs had a more appealing red color but similar tenderness.

## Abstract

This study explored how adding a natural plant resin from Boswellia serrata, commonly known as frankincense, to milk replacers affects the growth, health, and meat quality of young lambs. Twenty-four lambs were divided into three groups: those that suckled naturally, those fed a commercial milk replacer, and those fed the same replacer with added Boswellia serrata resin. Over a 60-day period, researchers measured growth, blood health indicators, and meat characteristics. Lambs raised with milk replacer, with or without the resin supplement, grew faster and reached higher final weights than those suckled naturally, whereas the resin-supplemented group showed numerically, but not statistically, higher gains than lambs fed milk replacer alone. The supplemented group also showed better blood health, including improved protein levels and healthier liver function. While the basic composition and tenderness of the meat were similar among groups, meat from naturally suckled lambs was harder, whereas the resin-supplemented group produced meat with a more appealing red color. Overall, adding Boswellia serrata resin to milk replacers improved the wellbeing of lambs and enhanced some aspects of meat quality. This natural supplement could offer farmers a safe and sustainable way to raise healthy lambs when natural suckling is not possible.

This study investigated the effects of supplementing a commercial milk replacer with Boswellia serrata resin (BSR), a natural frankincense extract rich in boswellic acids that possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, on the growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, and meat quality of suckling lambs. Twenty-four Assaf lambs were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 8 per group): natural suckling (NS), milk replacer (MR), and MR supplemented with BSR (MR+BSR). The experimental period lasted 60 days, during which growth performance and blood indices were evaluated, followed by meat quality assessment at the end of the trial. Lambs reared artificially (MR and MR+BSR) showed greater growth performance than naturally suckled lambs, as evidenced by significantly higher final body weight (p = 0.003) and average daily gain (p = 0.002), while initial body weight did not differ among treatments (p = 0.881). Within the artificially reared groups, however, BSR supplementation did not further increase growth relative to milk replacer alone. Supplementation with BSR improved the health and metabolic profile of lambs, resulting in higher serum total protein (p < 0.001), albumin (p < 0.001), and globulin (p < 0.001) concentrations. Moreover, BSR supplementation reduced the increase in aspartate aminotransferase (p < 0.001) and alanine aminotransferase (p < 0.001) activities observed in the MR group. No significant differences were detected in meat proximate composition (p > 0.05). However, meat from the NS group was significantly harder (p = 0.002) and more cohesive (p = 0.003) than meat from lambs fed MR or MR+BSR. In addition, the MR+BSR group produced meat with a higher redness (a*) value (p = 0.041), indicating an improved color quality. In conclusion, supplementing milk replacers with BSR enhanced the physiological and biochemical health of suckling lambs and enhanced specific meat quality traits, suggesting its potential as a natural functional additive in artificial rearing systems.