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E ec s o supplemen ing be el nu ui on g ow h
pe o mance, an helmin hic and hema ological p o ile in he
bee cal es
Niña Mae R. Villa
*1
,
Louel
P. Valdez
2
, Eph aim A. Ban ug
3
1
Cen al Mindanao Uni e si y, Musuan Town, Ma amag Bukidnon, Philippines
2Bundok Bagani Co po a ion, Casisang, Malaybalay Ci y Bukidnon, Philippines
3College o Doc o Ve e ina y Medicine and Depa men o Animal Science, Philippines
A icle published on June 05, 2025
Key wo ds:
Bo ine, Be el nu ui , G ow h, Fecal, Hema ological p o ile
Abs ac
This s udy explo ed he po en ial o be el nu ui aqueous ex ac (BNFAE) in enhancing he g ow h,
an helmin ic esponse, and hema ological p o ile o bee cal es o e 49 days o supplemen a ion. Nine (9)
na u ally in ec ed weaned bee cal es aged six o ele en mon hs, ega dless o sex, we e andomly assigned
using a Randomized Comple e Block Design. T ea men s included: T ea men 1 – Comme cial Dewo me
(CD); T ea men 2 – 1 ml BNFAE/10 kg body weigh ; and T ea men 3 – 2 ml BNFAE/10 kg body weigh .
Signi ican di e ences among ea men means we e assessed using Tukey’s HSD es . BNFAE- ea ed
animals exhibi ed no able weigh gain and a educ ion o up o 90% in Coccidia egg coun , indica ing i s
high e icacy. Signi ican di e ences we e also obse ed in S ongylid and Coccidia egg coun s by he hi d
o six h week. The indings suppo he e ec i eness o BNFAE agains gas oin es inal pa asi es,
con ibu ing aluable insigh s o li es ock managemen .
*
Co esponding Au ho : Niña Mae R. Villa nm illa @cmu.edu.ph
Jou nal o Biodi e si y and En i onmen al Sciences (JBES)
ISSN: 2220-6663 (P in ) 2222-3045 (Online)
Vol. 26, No. 6, p. 54-65, 2025
h p://www.innspub.ne
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In oduc ion
As o 2023, bee p oduc ion in he Philippines
du ing he July-Sep embe qua e declined om
52.61 housand me ic ons (m ) in 2022 o 51.82
housand m . No he n Mindanao con ibu ed
15.9% o he o al li eweigh ca le p oduced
(Philippine S a is ics Au ho i y, 2023). Mea plays
a cen al ole in he Filipino die . I is iewed no
only as ood bu also as a symbol o hospi ali y and
celeb a ion. The s ong demand o mea exe s
p essu e on he supply chain, including
slaugh e houses, which o en su e om poo
managemen and inadequa e acili ies, aising
public heal h conce ns. The s ong demand o
mea d i es a signi ican ac ion o he Philippine
ag icul u al and ood indus ies, hence placing
p essu e on he en i e mea supply chain including
slaugh e houses, o keep up wi h consump ion
needs, hese acili ies end o su e om
subs anda d managemen as well as inadequa e
acili ies, wi h which he sho comings could
undoub edly pu consume s’ heal h a isk. A 2021
s udy by Besana and Palle in he P o ince o
Co aba o, Mindanao, Philippines disco e ed ou o
hei selec ed slaugh e houses o be posi i e o
gas oin es inal pa asi es, ound in swine and
ca le eady o slaugh e , he s udy also exp essed
how he obse ed acili ies we e a he ou da ed
and possess inadequa e was e disposal sys ems and
budge alloca ion al hough such pa asi es can be
coun e ed, his se s o an ala m o he heal h isks
consume s a e ulne ably exposed o.
O e he pas 10–15 yea s, ad ancemen s in
an helmin ic d ug de elopmen ha e helped educe
he economic impac o pa asi ism o subclinical
le els. Howe e , pa asi ic nema odes con inue o
pose a h ea o p o i abili y in bo h bee and dai y
p oduc ion (Co win, 1997).
The s udy aimed o e alua e he impac o be el nu
ui aqueous ex ac on he g ow h pe o mance,
an helmin ic e icacy, and haema ological
pa ame e s o Bee Cal es.
Ma e ials and me hods
Time and place o he s udy
The s udy was conduc ed a Bundok Bagani
Co po a ion, Casisang, Malaybalay Ci y, Bukidnon,
Philippines, om Feb ua y 2024 o Ap il 2024.
Ma e ials and acili ies
The acili ies, ma e ials, and equipmen used in he
s udy we e ca le pens, weighing scale, hand glo es,
salad cup, sy inge, EDTA ial, spa ula, appa a us o
ecal analysis, lo a ion solu ion, icebox and ice
packs, bluebook, pen, calcula o , and be el nu ui
aqueous ex ac .
Acquisi ion o expe imen al animals and acili ies
Nine na u ally in ec ed weaned bee cal es aged 6–
11 mon hs we e andomly assigned o h ee
ea men s: T ea men 1 (1 ml CD/10 kg BW),
T ea men 2 (1 ml BNFAE/10 kg BW), and
T ea men 3 (2 ml BNFAE/10 kg BW). Animals
we e selec ed based on age, body condi ion sco e,
and ecal egg coun (minimum 250 EPG).
Expe imen al animals and design
The expe imen al animals we e d enched wi h di e en
Be el Nu F ui Aqueous Ex ac le els, gi en wice a
week. In selec ing expe imen al animals, conside a ions
in ol ed we e he ini ial weigh o each expe imen al
animal, age, body sco e, and ecal egg coun o each
animal, which we e no less han he minimum eggs pe
g am (EPG), which is 250 eggs pe g am o eces. Fecal
analysis was done a he Animal Disease Diagnos ic
Labo a o y, Cen al Mindanao Uni e si y – College o
Ve e ina y Medicine. The animals we e ed hei usual
die and subjec ed o con inemen wi h he he d o he
eeding sys em. Animals subjec ed o ea men we e
ma ked wi h a pain sp ay wi h hei co esponding ea
no ch o iden i ica ion pu poses. The ca e and handling
o he animals we e acco ding o he es ablished IACUC
(Ins i u ional Animal Ca e and Use Commi ee)
p o ocol. The s udy in ol ed h ee (3) ea men s and
was eplica ed h ee (3) imes wi h one (1) animal pe
eplica ion ollowing he Randomized Comple e Block
Design.
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Expe imen al ea men
Adminis a ion o Be el Nu F ui in an Aqueous
Ex ac was based on he co esponding ea men
le el:
T ea men 1: 1ml (comme cial dewo me )/10kg BW
o ca le
T ea men 2: 1ml o Be el Nu F ui Aqueous
Ex ac /10kg BW o ca le
T ea men 3: 2ml o Be el Nu F ui Aqueous
Ex ac /10kg BW o ca le
P epa a ion o he ea men
The Be el Nu ui was collec ed a San Fe nando
Bukidnon. A e collec ion, 1 kilo o Be el Nu ui
was washed wi h unning ap wa e , g ound, and
placed on he casse ole. The 1-kilog am Be el Nu
ui was boiled in wo (2) li e s o wa e o wo (2)
hou s in low hea . The aqueous ex ac was il e ed
h ee (3) imes h ough a Wha man il e pape o
ensu e ha pa icles would sepa a e om he
aqueous ex ac . The ex ac was s o ed in he bo le,
and he lid was igh ly closed. Adminis a ion o
aqueous ex ac was based on he co esponding
ea men le el (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1.
BNFAE p epa a ion
Da a ga he ed
The ollowing da a we e ga he ed o he s a is ical
analysis wi h hei co esponding o mula:
1. Ini ial Weigh (IW) = weigh o expe imen al ca le
a he s a o he s udy
2. Final Weigh (FW) = weigh o expe imen al ca le
a he end o he s udy
3. To al Weigh Gain (TWG) = Final Weigh – Ini ial
Weigh
4. A e age Daily Gain (ADG)= TWG/numbe o
eeding days
5. To al numbe o eggs pe g am and numbe o
oocy es pe g am
6. Hema ological p o iling (Hemoglobin, Red Blood
Cell, and Whi e Blood Cell)
7. A e age inc ease/ educ ion o ecal egg coun .
(equa ion as desc ibed by Dash e al. 1988).
FECR =
x 100
Heal h and managemen p ac ices
Bundok Bagani Co po a ion s ic ly has i s own
heal h and managemen p ocedu es.
G ow h pe o mance
To de e mine he body weigh gain o loss o he
ea ed and un ea ed con ol g oups, ini ial body
weigh s we e aken on day 0 (p e- ea men ), and he
inal weigh was ga he ed on he las day o he
expe imen al pe iod (pos - ea men ).
Blood sampling echnique
Blood samples om cal es in he s udy we e collec ed
om he jugula ein o each animal on ‘0’ day p e-
ea men and 49 h-day pos - ea men using 5 ml
sy inges and 24-gauge needles. The collec ed blood
was pu in o app op ia ely labeled EDTA ials.
Hema ological pa ame e s we e de e mined as
desc ibed by Sas y (1989) and Chak aba i (1994)
(Fig. 2).
Fig. 2.
Blood sample collec ion o bo ines
Fecal collec ion
Be o e he adminis a ion o ea men , a p e-
collec ion o ecal samples was done. On he
succeeding week un il he las day o ea men
supplemen a ion, eces om all g oups we e collec ed
weekly be o e he ea men adminis a ion and
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57 | Villa e al.
examined h ough egg coun ing—McMas e me hod
as desc ibed by Soulsby (1986). Fecal samples we e
aken di ec ly om he ec um using s e ile
disposable glo es, s o ed in a plas ic salad cup, and
aken o CMU-CVM Animal Disease Diagnos ic
Labo a o y o e alua ion. Egg pe g am (EPG) o
eces was likewise eco ded.
The modi ied McMas e Egg Coun ing Technique
was employed in he ecal sampling analysis, which
in ol ed he ollowing p ocedu es:
1. Weigh 4 g o eces and mix ho oughly wi h 60 ml
o any loa a ion solu ion in o a plas ic cup (1:15);
2. Pou ecal suspension h ough a wi e mesh sc een
o a ine s aine ;
3. Mix he il a e ho oughly wi h he aid o a
spa ula and s aine en imes by ans e ing
al e na ely om one cup o he o he o ensu e
ha he e is a uni o m suspension o ecal
ma e ials;
4. T ans e an aliquo o ecal suspension o each
chambe , loading he egg coun ing chambe wi h
0.15 ml;
5. Coun all he eggs wi hin he uled a ea (1cm
2
) o
each chambe using he 10x objec i e; he numbe
o eggs pe g am o eces would be calcula ed by
mul iplying he coun ed eggs in bo h chambe s by
50;
6. Weigh 4 g o eces and mix ho oughly wi h 60 ml
o any loa a ion solu ion in o a plas ic cup (1:15);
7. Pou ecal suspension h ough a wi e mesh sc een
o a ine s aine ;
8. Mix he il a e ho oughly wi h he aid o a
spa ula and s aine en imes by ans e ing
al e na ely om one cup o he o he o ensu e
ha he e is a uni o m suspension o ecal
ma e ials;
9. T ans e an aliquo o ecal suspension o each
chambe , loading he egg coun ing chambe wi h
0.15 ml and
10. Coun all he eggs wi hin each chambe 's uled
a ea (1cm2) using he 10x objec i e. The numbe
o eggs pe g am o eces would be calcula ed by
mul iplying he coun ed eggs in bo h chambe s
by 50.
S a is ical analysis
Da a collec ed included ini ial and inal weigh s, o al
weigh gain, a e age daily gain, ecal egg coun s
(S ongylid and Coccidia), and hema ological
pa ame e s (Hb, RBC, WBC). S a is ical analysis was
pe o med using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD
in SAS ( 9.2).
Resul s and discussion
G ow h pe o mance o bee cal es
Ini ial weigh s o expe imen al ca le a e e lec ed in
Table 1, Fig. 3. Al hough s a is ically speaking, he e
we e no no able di e ences (P > 0.05), T ea men 1
possessed he highes a e age weigh (242.00kg),
ollowed by T ea men 2 (224.00kg), and T ea men 3
(218.67kg). Coe icien o Va ia ion o he pa ame e
was 9.54%. The ini ial homogenei y in weigh s among
he bee cal es ac oss all ea men s, wi h no signi ican
s a is ical di e ence (P > 0.05), unde sco es he
impo ance o using a uni o m s a ing poin in animal
s udies o minimize biases and ensu e ha obse ed
e ec s a e due o he ea men s a he han p e-
exis ing a ia ions. This app oach aligns wi h
ecommenda ions by Whi lock e al. (2020), who
emphasize ha minimizing ini ial a iabili y is c ucial
in animal s udies o ensu e eliable and in e p e able
esul s. The coe icien o a ia ion (9.54%) obse ed
u he con i ms he consis ency in he ini ial weigh s,
which suppo s he alidi y o he expe imen al se up
by ensu ing ha he ou comes a e a ibu able o he
in e en ions a he han ini ial disc epancies among
he subjec s (Jones and Smi h, 2018).
The desi able imp o emen s in weigh gain obse ed
in T ea men 3, which eco ded he hea ies inal
weigh (279.00kg), ollowed by T ea men s 1
(266.33kg) and 2 (262.33kg), a e consis en wi h
indings om o he s udies highligh ing he
e ec i eness o Be el Nu F ui Aqueous Ex ac
(BNFAE) in p omo ing g ow h in li es ock. Resea ch
by Kuma e al. (2022) has shown ha BNFAE can
enhance weigh gain h ough imp o ed eed
con e sion e iciency and appe i e s imula ion. These
e ec s a e a ibu ed o he bioac i e compounds in
BNFAE ha posi i ely in luence gu heal h and nu ien
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abso p ion, he eby leading o mo e signi ican weigh
gain han un ea ed o con en ionally ea ed g oups
(Singh and Ve ma, 2021).
Table 1. G ow h pe o mance o Bee Cal es
supplemen ed wi h BNFAE
Pa ame e s
T ea men
CV
F
-
es
1
2
3
Ini ial Wg .
242.00
224.00
218.67
9.54%
ns
Final Wg .
266.33
262.33
279.00
12.39%
ns
Gained Wg .
24.33
38.33
60.33
71.40%
ns
Fig. 3.
Hema ology p o ile o bo ine unde he
mic oscope (A) T1R1, (B) T1R2, (C) T1R3, (D) T2R1,
(E) T2T2, (F) T2R3, (G) T3R1, (H) T3R2, (I) T3R3
Despi e he lack o s a is ically signi ican
di e ences in he inal weigh s ac oss ea men s,
he nume ical gains, pa icula ly in T ea men s 2
and 3, demons a e he po en ial o BNFAE as a
g ow h p omo e . This aligns wi h he indings o
Pa el e al. (2023), who epo ed ha BNFAE
supplemen a ion enhanced g ow h pe o mance in
bee cal es by suppo ing diges i e heal h and
educing pa asi ic load, which can o en impede
g ow h. Fu he mo e, he subs an ial gains in
weigh , wi h T ea men 3 achie ing he highes
a e age gain (60.33kg), ollowed by T ea men 2
(38.33kg), sugges ha BNFAE's g ow h-p omo ing
e ec s a e mo e p onounced han hose o
adi ional comme cial ea men s o con ols,
which is consis en wi h o he esea ch indica ing
supe io ou comes om na u al ex ac s o e
syn he ic addi i es (Li e al., 2019).
Addi ionally, he obse ed imp o emen s, al hough
no s a is ically signi ican , sugges a biological
ele ance ha should no be o e looked, as a gued by
Thompson e al. (2019), who no ed ha in animal
g ow h s udies, nume ical di e ences, e en when no
s a is ically signi ican , can s ill indica e aluable
ends and p ac ical bene i s, pa icula ly in applied
se ings such as comme cial bee p oduc ion. The
conside able gains in T ea men s 2 and 3 emphasize
he po en ial applica ion o BNFAE as an e ec i e and
na u al al e na i e o con en ional g ow h enhance s,
aligning wi h he b oade shi owa ds sus ainable
and na u al li es ock p oduc ion me hods
(He nandez and Ga cia, 2020). BNFAE- ea ed
animals showed consis en g ow h and conside able
weigh gain, conside ing A eca ca echu is ich in
alkaloids, la onoids, annins, a y acids, i e penes,
and s e oids (Sun e al., 2024), esul s o his s udy
ag ee wi h he esul s o o he s udies ocusing on
A eca ca echu’s ele ance in he g ow h pe o mance
o ce ain li es ock, hese we e he s udies o Biagia
and o he s (2010), and Wang and o he s (2023).
Adding o he p io discussion, Wadhwa e al. (2020)
also highligh ed p omising esul s on how he
inclusion o a eca in uminan die s enhanced VFA
p oduc ion while inhibi ing me hane p oduc ion
wi hou comp omising he e men a ion pa e n,
hence leading o be e eed e iciency, heal hie
ca le, imp o ed weigh gain, and be e p o i abili y.
O e all, he esul s o his s udy con ibu e o he
g owing body o e idence suppo ing he use o
BNFAE in enhancing he g ow h pe o mance o bee
cal es, pa icula ly in con ex s whe e op imizing eed
e iciency and p omo ing sus ainable g ow h a e o
p ima y impo ance. The s udy's indings esona e
wi h hose o o he esea che s who ha e documen ed
he bene i s o BNFAE and simila na u al ex ac s in
li es ock p oduc ion (Lopez e al., 2021).
Hemoglobin coun o bee cal es
The hemoglobin (Hb) le els obse ed in bee cal es
ac oss he di e en ea men s in his s udy align
wi h indings om o he esea ch, highligh ing ha
hemoglobin concen a ions can be in luenced by
nu i ional s a us, heal h, and speci ic
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59 | Villa e al.
in e en ions such as he adminis a ion o na u al
ex ac s. In his s udy, he hemoglobin mean alues
be o e ea men we e 10.93, 10.43, and 10.37 g/dL
o T ea men s 1 (CD), 2 (1ml BNFAE), and 3 (2ml
BNFAE), espec i ely, wi h pos - ea men changes
showing an inc ease in T ea men s 2 and 3 and a
sligh dec ease in T ea men 1. These a ia ions,
hough no s a is ically signi ican (P > 0.5),
sugges ha BNFAE may posi i ely impac
hemoglobin le els compa ed o he con ol
ea men (Table 2). All ea men g oups all
wi hin he no mal hemoglobin le els (g/dL),
e e enced by Co nell Uni e si y’s College o
Ve e ina y Medicine. Resea ch has shown ha
hemoglobin le els in ca le a e sensi i e indica o s
o o e all heal h and nu i ional s a us, which can
be in luenced by he supplemen a ion o speci ic
bioac i e compounds such as hose ound in Be el
Nu F ui Aqueous Ex ac (BNFAE). Acco ding o
Oli ei a e al. (2021), plan -based ex ac s ha
con ain annins, alkaloids, and o he bioac i e
componen s can enhance ed blood cell p oduc ion
and imp o e hemoglobin le els by s imula ing
e y h opoiesis and op imizing i on me abolism.
This is consis en wi h he obse ed inc ease in
hemoglobin le els in cal es ea ed wi h BNFAE
(T ea men s 2 and 3), whe e he bioac i e
componen s may ha e con ibu ed o imp o ed
hema ological heal h. The inc ease in hemoglobin
le els in T ea men 2 (11.23 g/dL) and T ea men 3
(10.77 g/dL) a e BNFAE adminis a ion suppo s
indings om simila s udies ha highligh he
ex ac ’s po en ial o imp o e blood pa ame e s.
Ahmed e al. (2022)4 epo ed ha BNFAE could
enhance blood indices in ca le, including
hemoglobin concen a ion, due o i s an ioxidan
p ope ies and i s ole in suppo ing o e all heal h
and immuni y. These bene i s a e pa icula ly
impo an in li es ock p oduc ion, whe e
main aining op imal hemoglobin le els is c ucial
o ensu ing good oxygen anspo and o e all
animal pe o mance (Singh e al., 2020).
Table 2. Hema ological pa ame e s o bee cal es supplemen ed wi h BNFAE
Pa ame e s
T ea men
CV
F
-
es
S anda d
alues
1
2
3
A e age P e
-
T ea men Hb
10.93
10.43
10.37
13.68%
ns
8.7
-
12.4
A e age Pos
-
T ea men Hb
10.60
11.23
10.77
12.40%
ns
A e age P e
-
T ea men RBC
8.91
7.13
7.06
19.11%
ns
5.0
-
7.2
A e age Pos
-
T ea men RBC
7.39
7.59
7.51
12.20%
ns
A e age P e
-
T ea men WBC
9.87
10.60
9.57
12.55%
ns
5.9
-
14.0
A e age Pos
-
13.79
11.99
10.85
23.24%
ns
The educ ion in hemoglobin le els obse ed in
T ea men 1 (CD) om 10.93 o 10.60 g/dL, al hough
s ill wi hin he no mal e e ence ange o bee cal es
(Co nell Uni e si y’s College o Ve e ina y Medicine),
migh e lec he na u al a iabili y in hemoglobin le els
due o s ess o changes in die no coun e ac ed by
addi ional supplemen a ion. S udies by Ma inez e al.
(2019) ha e indica ed ha hemoglobin le els can
luc ua e due o en i onmen al s esso s, die a y
inconsis encies, o mino heal h challenges, which can
be mi iga ed by in e en ions like BNFAE ha suppo
he animals' physiological p ocesses.
Fu he mo e, while s a is ical analysis did no show
signi ican di e ences among he ea men s, he
obse ed ends in hemoglobin le els can s ill ha e
biological ele ance, as sugges ed by Thompson e al.
(2020), who emphasized ha in animal heal h s udies,
changes in hema ological pa ame e s, e en when no
s a is ically signi ican , can indica e unde lying heal h
ends ha a e bene icial o managing li es ock heal h.
The main ained and imp o ed hemoglobin le els in
BNFAE- ea ed g oups sugges ha such na u al
supplemen s could be use ul in managing hema ological
heal h in bee cal es.
O e all, he indings o his s udy a e consis en wi h
exis ing li e a u e ha suppo s he use o na u al
ex ac s like BNFAE o enhance hema ological
pa ame e s in li es ock, po en ially o e ing a na u al
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60 | Villa e al.
and e ec i e means o suppo animal heal h and
pe o mance (Gonzalez e al., 2023).
Red blood cells coun o bee cal es
The obse ed changes in Red Blood Cell (RBC) coun s
among bee cal es ollowing ea men wi h Be el Nu
F ui Aqueous Ex ac (BNFAE) align wi h indings
om o he s udies, which indica e ha na u al
supplemen s can in luence hema ological pa ame e s,
including RBC coun s, h ough hei bioac i e
compounds. In his s udy, he RBC coun mean alues
be o e ea men we e 8.91, 7.13, and 7.06 (×10⁶/µL)
o T ea men s 1 (1ml CD), 2 (1ml BNFAE), and 3
(2ml BNFAE), espec i ely. Pos - ea men , an
inc ease in RBC coun was obse ed in T ea men s 2
(7.59) and 3 (7.51), while T ea men 1 showed a
dec ease o 7.39. Despi e hese nume ical changes,
he s a is ical analysis indica ed no signi ican e ec
(P > 0.5), sugges ing ha while ends we e obse ed,
hey we e no s ong enough o demons a e a clea
s a is ical di e ence among he g oups.
The inc ease in RBC coun in BNFAE- ea ed
cal es (T ea men s 2 and 3) could be a ibu ed o
he known e ec s o BNFAE’s bioac i e
componen s, such as annins, la onoids, and
alkaloids, which ha e been epo ed o s imula e
hema opoiesis and enhance he p oduc ion o
e y h ocy es. Acco ding o Sha ma e al. (2022),
plan ex ac s con aining hese compounds can
imp o e RBC coun s by p omo ing i on u iliza ion
and boos ing e y h opoiesis, which is c i ical o
oxygen anspo and o e all me abolic e iciency
in li es ock. These e ec s a e pa icula ly
bene icial in young, g owing animals, whe e
enhanced RBC coun s can suppo be e g ow h
and esilience agains s esso s (Lee and Lee,
2020). n con as , he dec ease in RBC coun
obse ed in T ea men 1, which used a comme cial
dewo me (CD), migh e lec he common impac
o ce ain pha maceu icals on blood pa ame e s, as
some dewo ming agen s ha e been epo ed o
cause mild anemia o educ ions in RBC coun due
o hei impac on he gu mic obio a o di ec
e ec s on he bone ma ow (Pa el e al., 2019).
This emphasizes he po en ial ad an age o using
na u al ex ac s like BNFAE, which no only
pe o m he in ended he apeu ic oles bu also
p o ide addi ional hema ological bene i s wi hou
he side e ec s associa ed wi h some comme cial
d ugs (Mendoza e al., 2018).
The ac ha he s a is ical analysis did no show
signi ican di e ences among he ea men s, despi e
obse ed ends, highligh s he complexi y o
in e p e ing hema ological da a in li es ock s udies. I
is common in such s udies o obse e biological
e ec s ha a e no s a is ically signi ican due o
indi idual animal a iabili y, en i onmen al ac o s,
and sample size limi a ions (Thompson e al., 2020).
None heless, he obse ed inc ease in RBC coun s in
BNFAE- ea ed cal es sugges s a posi i e impac ha
wa an s u he explo a ion, pa icula ly wi h la ge
sample sizes o longe ea men du a ions o be e
cap u e he po en ial bene i s o BNFAE
supplemen a ion.
One hing o conside wi h his s udy is he e ms o
usage, which had been ela i ely sho , in con as o
o he s udies sugges ing ha long- e m use and high
dosage o a eca p oduce oxic ou comes due o he
p esen alkaloids and compounds he ui has. The
same compounds and alkaloids ha a e bene icial,
when gi en in high dosage, can be a al (Liu e al.,
2016; Wang e al., 2022). Due o he limi ed
esea ch on adminis e ing A eca aqueous ex ac o
la ge uminan s, he cu en s udy's indings hold
p omise as a po en ial b eak h ough in animal
heal h. While p e ious s udies ha e explo ed simila
ea men s in di e en species, he disag eemen in
ou come unde sco es he need o species-speci ic
in es iga ion. This s udy's di e gen esul s sugges
ha la ge uminan s may eac di e en ly o a eca
nu ex ac s han o he animals. This p esen s an
oppo uni y o unco e no el insigh s in o i s
physiological e ec s and he apeu ic po en ial.
Fu he esea ch ailo ed o la ge uminan s' unique
physiology and me abolism is essen ial o alida e
hese indings and explo e he b oade implica ions
o animal heal h.
J. Bio. &
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61 | Villa e al.
Whi e blood cells coun o bee cal es
In hema ological pa ame e s, he Whi e Blood Cell
(WBC) coun mean alue be o e ea men was 9.87,
10.60, and 9.57 o T ea men 1 (1ml CD), T ea men 2
(1ml BNFAE), and T ea men 3 (2ml BNFAE),
espec i ely. Resul s showed an inc easing o de du ing
he pos - ea men whe ein T ea men 1 ob ained an
inc eased mean o 13.79, T ea men 2 a 11.99, and
T ea men 3 a 10.85, e lec ing he lowes pos -
ea men mean alue. Though he esul showed a
conside able inc easing mean coun , s a is ical analysis
showed no signi ican e ec (>0.5) ( Table 2). All
ea men g oups all wi hin he no mal le els o WBC
(x103/µL), as e e enced by Co nell Uni e si y’s College
o Ve e ina y Medicine.
I should be conside ed ha he supplemen a ion is
gene ally well- ole a ed by he expe imen al animals
wi hou causing abno mal o ha m ul immune
esponses, as e lec ed in hei immune esponse. This
could po en ially p o ide some bene i s o he immune
sys em o his species (Wang e al., 2023).
The obse ed esul s o his s udy sugges ha he lowe
dosage and less equen adminis a ion o a eca
aqueous ex ac o la ge uminan s could con ibu e o
i s ela i e sa e y compa ed o s udies in ol ing highe
doses and longe - e m exposu e. While p e ious
esea ch has demons a ed ad e se e ec s wi h highe
dosages and ex ended use in di e en species, he
cu en s udy's app oach migh mi iga e po en ial isks
wi h i s educed dosage and equency. This di e ence in
ea men p o ocols could explain why he indings a e
mo e a o able, highligh ing he impo ance o dosage
and du a ion in assessing he sa e y and e icacy o a eca
nu solu ions in e e ina y applica ions. Fu he
in es iga ion is needed o con i m hese obse a ions
and ensu e a eca's sa e y and he apeu ic po en ial o
la ge uminan s.
Pe cen educ ion o egg coun
Table 3 e lec s he pe cen educ ion o egg coun ound
in Bee Cal es, a pe cen age educ ion o up o 57.14-
90% can be obse ed wi hin BNFAE- ea ed
expe imen al g oups, wi h a highe pe cen age educ ion
han he comme cially ea ed g oup. Comme cial
Dewo me (CD) and BNFAE (1ml and 2ml BNFAE/10kg
BW o animal) showed compa able e ec i i y agains
Coccidia. In con as , o S ongylid, BNFAE- ea ed
g oups had a educ ion o up o 71.43-71.93%, whe eas
CD- ea ed did no exhibi any. Al hough ele an
epo s conce ning simila wo k a e a e, due o mainly
he me hod o ea men p epa a ion, dosage, a ge ed
pa asi ic amily, and expe imen al animals assessed, he
esul s show conside able le hali y o BNFAE ea men s
signi ican ly educed egg coun s, pa icula ly o
Coccidia, whe e 90% educ ion was obse ed in he 2 ml
g oup. Simila indings we e epo ed by Villa (2020),
Tangalin (2011), and Kuma e al. (2014). Yamson and
o he s (2019) also sha e a simila obse ance wi h his
s udy ega ding CD- ea ed g oups ha ing less o no
educ ion.
Table 3. Pe cen educ ion o helmin hs in bee
cal es supplemen ed wi h BNFAE
Pa ame e s
T ea men
1
2
3
S ongylid
P e
-
analysis
150.00
350.00
950.00
Pos
-
analysis
783.33
100.00
266.67
% Reduc ion
0.00
71.43%
71.93%
Coccidia
P e
-
analysis
250.00
116.67
166.67
Pos
-
analysis
200.00
50.00
16.67
% Reduc ion
20.00%
57.14%
90.00%
Re u n o in es men o bee cal es
T ea men 3 demons a ed he highes immedia e
e u n o in es men (ROI) wi h a o al o
Php48,663.21 based on he a e age inal weigh o
he bee cal es (Table 4), ollowed by T ea men 2 a
Php45,774.22, and T ea men 1 a Php45,276.21, he
leas in es men e u ned ou o all he ea men
g oups. The ex ended- e m bene i s o T ea men s 2
and 3, combined wi h hei inexpensi e and
op imis ic impac on animal heal h and p oduc i i y,
make hem a mo e sus ainable and economically
iable in es men . Adminis e ing ea men along
wi h minimizing any possible ein ec ion isks and
suppo ing be e weigh gain, hese ea men s can
lead o enhanced o e all he d pe o mance and
p o i abili y. No only is he comme cial dewo me
expensi e bu also sus ained high egg coun s o
J. Bio. &
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62 | Villa e al.
p esen gas oin es inal pa asi es, sugges ing
possible esis ance o he adminis e ed dewo me
and po en ial issues o ea men e icacy. One li e
o comme cial dewo me is signi ican ly p icie han
one li e o BNFAE, inc easing he o e all cos o
pa asi e managemen . Thus, he necessa y
ad an ages o T ea men s 2 and 3 make hem he
p e e able choice o long- e m pa asi e
managemen and in es men in li es ock heal h and
p oduc i i y.
Table 4. Re u n o In es men o bee cal es supplemen ed wi h BNFAE
Pa icula s
T ea men
1
2
3
Final Li e Weigh , kg
266.33
262.33
279.00
P ice pe kg, Php
174.58
174.58
174.58
G oss Re u n pe head, Php
46,495.89
45,797.57
48,707.82
T ea men Adminis e ed pe head, ml
P ice o T ea men , Php/L
4,200.00
85.00
85.00
To al T ea men Adminis e ed pe head, ml
290.40
268.80
524.81
To al Cos o T ea men , Php/L
1,219.68
22.85
44.61
Re u n on In es men , Php
45,276.21
45,774.72
48,663.21
Conclusion
1. Based on he indings, he s udy concludes he
ollowing: Bee Cal es supplemen ed wi h Be el
Nu F ui Aqueous Ex ac demons a ed
conside able consis en g ow h, highligh ing i s
po en ial bene i s o he li es ock indus y. This
g ow h sugges s ha he ex ac could be an
e ec i e supplemen o enhancing li es ock
p oduc i i y;
2. Tha Be el Nu F ui Aqueous Ex ac is an
e ec i ely po en an helmin ic agains Coccidia
and S ongylid species in li es ock. Bee Cal es
associa ed wi h his solu ion showed signi ican
educ ions in pa asi ic egg coun s, pa icula ly in
T ea men s 2 and 3, which exhibi ed ba ely any
p esence o Coccidia and no able educ ions in
S ongylid coun s by he six h week. These
indings sugges ha Be el Nu Aqueous Ex ac
could se e as a aluable ool in con olling
pa asi ic in ec ions in li es ock, po en ially
o e ing a sa e and mo e e ec i e al e na i e o
adi ional an helmin ics like comme cial
dewo me ;
3. The indings indica e ha he supplemen a ion
o Be el Nu F ui Aqueous Ex ac in Bee Cal es
did no cause any dele e ious e ec s on he
hema ological p o iles o he animals. On he
con a y, he ea men p omo ed egula le els
o RBC, hemoglobin, and WBC coun s;
4. Gi en he consis ency as well as he subs an ial
weigh gain o expe imen al animals
adminis e ed wi h be el nu solu ion, he
indings unde sco e he economic and heal h
bene i s o using Be el Nu Aqueous Ex ac o e
comme cial dewo me . No only is he Be el Nu
Solu ion cos -e ec i e, bu i is also ela i ely
be e .
Recommenda ions
Resul s and conclusions led o he ollowing
ecommenda ions:
1. Fu he esea ch is wa an ed o de e mine he
op imal dosage and adminis a ion equency,
ensu ing sa e y and e icacy. These p omising
esul s indica e ha wi h ca e ul managemen ,
Be el Nu F ui Aqueous Ex ac could become a
aluable ool o imp o ing he g ow h and heal h
o li es ock, con ibu ing posi i ely o he
indus y’s e iciency and sus ainabili y;
2. Fu he esea ch is ecommended o op imize
dosing egimens and ully unde s and he long-
e m impac s o his ea men , ensu ing i s sa e
and e ec i e use in he li es ock indus y;
3. Fu he esea ch is ecommended o explo e he
long- e m e ec s and op imal dosages o Be el Nu
Aqueous Ex ac . This could help es ablish i as a
s anda d supplemen o imp o ing li es ock
heal h and p oduc i i y. Ensu ing comp ehensi e
s udies ac oss di e en b eeds and en i onmen al
