Determination of the phytonutrient profile of sweet chestnut extract and its effect on the viability of newborn lambs

In determining the phytonutrient profile of sweet chestnut, the highest diversity of compounds was observed among flavonoids and amino acids, whereas non-flavonoid polyphenols, coumarins, tannins, and fatty acids were represented by significantly fewer molecules. The carboxylic acid category contained two representatives, while only one ester was identified. Detected flavonoids in the sweet chestnut extract included approximately thirty-three phytonutrients, such as naringenin, rutin, apigenin, luteolin, hyperoside, acacetin, and isorhamnetin. Collectively, our results indicate a complex phytonutrient composition in sweet chestnut extracts, comprising numerous compounds that may possess various health-promoting properties for animals. Both sweet chestnut and horse chestnut extracts were found to contain the essential amino acid tryptophan, as well as non-essential amino acids such as glutamic acid and tyrosine. Furthermore, flavonoids accounted for approximately 54.73% of the total polyphenols detected in the horse chestnut extract, suggesting it as a potent source of these compounds. Overall, the studied extracts are valuable sources of flavonoids and polyphenols. A comparative assessment of hematological (morphological) and biochemical blood parameters in experimental and control groups of lambs revealed that the normalization dynamics of these markers were higher in the experimental group, serving as an indicator of the phytobiotic activity of sweet chestnut extract. Calculations of growth performance over the 6-day experiment showed that the absolute average daily gain (ADG) of the experimental group was 408.4±4.7 g/day, with a relative growth rate of 28.1%, while the ADG of the control group was significantly lower at 298.6±3.9 g/day.