الفهرس 
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Abstract
To study the effect of feeding lactating goats on some medicinal plant, two experiments were carried out. The first experiment aimed to determine the proper level of Echinacea purpurea, Nigella sativa and Cichorium intybus to be used in ruminant rations using in vitro techniques. In the second experiment, twenty Damascus lactating goats weighting 29.2 ± 1.96 Kg LBW (2.5 – 3 years old) were used in this experiment. Animals were randomly divided into five groups where the control group (G1) was given a basal diet, G2 was given the basal diet mixed with 4 g/h.d Echinacea purpurea, G3 was given the basal diet mixed with 8 g/kg Echinacea purpurea, G4 was given the basal diet mixed with 7.5 g/h.d Nigella sativa and G5 was given the basal diet mixed with 10 g/h.d Cichorium intybus for 98 days. The results obtained from the first experiment showed that the levels of 8 g Echinacea purpurea, 7.5 g Nigella sativa and 10 g Cichorium intybus / kg DM diet, had improved both dry matter and organic matter disappearance in the rumen. While the results of the second experiment showed that, the rumen parameter (pH – TVFs’ – Ammonia) tend to increase significantly (P ≤ 0.05) in G2. Digestion coefficients of all nutrients (DM – OM – EE – CP – CF) tend to be higher in the treated groups compared with the control group.
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FATMA I. HADHOUD, Ph.D.,2014
Using medicinal plants lead to improve milk production in the treated groups than control group, where milk production was 1345.4, 1718.4, 1516.8, 1363.3 and 1380.0 g/h/d for G1, G2, G3, G4 and G5, respectively. Regarding to milk composition, milk fat % in the treated groups was slightly higher than the control group. However total milk protein % was lower in G3, G5 and G4 compared with G2 and G1. The values of milk protein percent were 2.89, 2.93, 2.77, 2.52 and 2.57 %, for G1, G2, G3, G4 and G5, respectively. Using Echinacea purpurea effectively decreased somatic cell counts (SCC) in G2 and G3. Also adding Nigella sativa and cichorium intybus to the lactating goats’ diets tend to decrease SCC. The obtained values of SCC were 608.1, 64.3, 96.7, 179.0, and 105.2 *103 CFU for G1, G2, G3, G4 and G5, respectively. Total microbial count was affected by adding Echinacea purpurea and Nigella sativa, where G2 recorded the lowest count followed by G3 then G4 (5.17, 5.18 and 5.38, respectively). Also, G2 and G3 recorded the lowest count of Staphylococci count and St. auraus count than G5, G4 and G1. The results indicated that using Echinacea purpurea, Nigella sativa and cichorium intybus as additives in the dairy goats’ diets tend to improve nutrient digestion coefficient also improve milk quantity and quality.
Key Words:
medicinal plant, Echinacea purpurea, Nigella sativa, Cichorium intybus, milk production, milk composition, somatic cell counts, microbial count, Staphylococci count, St. auraus count.