Jelodar  Gholamali, Omidi  Arash, Nazifi  Saeed, Amiri  Mosayeb, 
    Onion (<i>Allium cepa L.</i>) Extract Supplementation Improved Meat Quality, Oxidative Stability
and Some Hematological Parameters in Suckling Lambs,
    Agricultural Journal,
    Volume 15,Issue 5,
    2020,
    Pages 91-96,
    ISSN 1816-9155,
    aj.2020.91.96,
    (https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=aj.2020.91.96)
    Abstract: The antioxidant properties of common onion
(<i>Allium cepa</i> L.) have already been investigated and
documented. This study was conducted to evaluate the
effects of two doses of onion extract on meat oxidative
stability, meat quality and some hema tologicalpara
meters in suckling lambs. Eighteen suckling lambs
(30&plusmn;3 days old Turkey-Ghashghai) were selected,
weighed and randomly allocated into 3 groups as control
(regular diet+sheep milk), treatment 1 and treatment 2
(fed same as control plus 150 or 250 mg kg<sup>&#150;1</sup> onion
extract, respectively) and treated for 60 days. Blood was
collected on days 30 and 60 of the experiment. The liver,
spleen and thighmuscles were collected after slaughtering
the animals. The effects of storage time on meat quality
were determined after 3 or 6 months of storage at -20&#176;C.
The pH, moisture, Water-Holding Capacity (WHC), crude
fat and MalondialDehyde (MDA) of the meat were
evaluated. Administration of onion extract significantly
decreased the amounts of crude fat and MDA
concentration in both treatment groups (p<0.05).
lymphocyte&#146;s numbers increased significantly in the
treatment 2 group compared with other groups (p<0.05).
A significant increase in Lightness (L) of meat in the
treatment 2 group compared to the control group was
observed (p<0.05). No significant difference noticed
between the groups in the remained evaluated parameters
of meat, neutrophil counts, the neutrophil/lymphocyte
ratio, monocyte&#146;s numbers and liver and spleen weight.
Conclusion, onion extract supplementation improved meat
quality, oxidative stability and lymphocyte numbersin
suckling lambs.
    Keywords: Hematological parameters;meat quality;onion extract;suckling lambs