ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to evaluate the biochemical parameters of goats submitted to castration or not and receiving supplementation with vitamin E or not. A total of 24 goats, uncastrated (12 experimental units) and castrated males (12 experimental units), with average body weight weighing 17.6 kg ± 2.67 kg, were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement, with two animal conditions (castrated and uncastrated male) and vitamin E supplementation (with and without supplementation), with six replications. There was an effect of treatments (P<0.05) over time for all studied variables. There was an effect of vitamin supplementation (P<0.05) for phosphorus, iron, protein, glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). Vitamin supplementation increased glucose, creatinine and GTT levels over time, and reduced levels of phosphorus, iron, protein, albumin, AST and ALP. We conclude that vitamin E influenced the biochemical parameters studied, but castration did not change the biochemical profile of goats, regardless of whether they were supplemented with vitamin E or not.
Keywords:
clinical parameters; small ruminants; supplementation