Some clinical and laboratory aspects following oral administration of Citrullus colocynthis in Baluchi sheep

Citrullus colocynthis is a pharmaceutical plant which belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. This plant is used in the treatment of many diseases, but its excessive usage causes poisoning and even death. In this study, the effects of different parts of Citrullus colocynthis including fruit, leaf, and fruit and leaf mixture on clinical, hematological, and biochemical parameters of sheep blood serum were investigated. Twenty male Baluchi sheep of about 1 year old were admitted to the study. The animals were divided into three treatment groups and one control group and received fruit, leaf, and fruit and leaf mixture of Citrullus colocynthis with a dose of 0.25 g/kg for 1 month. Repeated measures ANOVA statistical test by using SPSS statistical software was used to compare the results between groups. The results showed that the amount of cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins, total bilirubin, respiratory rate, heartbeat rate, and temperature, after the administration of Citrullus colocynthis, is significantly different (p < 0.05). These changes indicated that different parts of Citrullus colocynthis at the dose of 0.25 g/kg/BW for 28 days do not induce considerable adverse effects on several body systems. Moreover, their usage might have some benefits due to decreasing the amount of triglycerides and cholesterols.