Exploratory Study on the Relationship Between Age, Reproductive Stage, Body Condition Score, and Liver Biochemical Profiles in Rembi Breed Ewes

The Rembi sheep breed is renowned for its exceptional meat quality and significant economic profit. Nevertheless, there is a gap in research on the hepatic parameters of this breed in Algeria despite the considerable value of the liver in the Algerian population’s diet.    The research aimed to determine the impact of physiological factors (age, physiological stage, and body condition score) on biochemical sheep liver parameters.  Sixty clinically healthy female Rembi breed sheep, aged between 3 months and 7 years, raised at the Technical Institute of Livestock (ITELV) Ksar Chellala Farm in Tiaret Province, Algeria, were selected for biochemical analysis and assessing aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL), albumin (ALB), and total protein (TP). The concentrations of AST, ALP, and GGT increased significantly (P≤0.001) in young sheep, while ALT and TP levels decreased (P≤0.05). However, a high level of GGT (P<0.001) was also observed in lactating ewes, and during pregnancy, females have a low level of ALP (P<0.001). Furthermore, the body condition score does not affect any of the measurements. Considering the animal’s age and physiological stage is critical before interpreting the results.