Improvement of sheep health and productivity has become a global goal. An effective house must provide adequate space, shelter, and protection from climatic changes and stress. Some plants such as thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and celery (Apium graveolens) could alleviate stressors. Hence, this investigation was conducted to determine the role of thyme and celery seed mixture (TCM) in improving the behavior and performance of lactating Ossimi ewes at diverse housings during autumn and winter. Forty lactating ewes (2 years old and 48 ± 1.5 kg average body weight) were randomly equally distributed into two semi-shaded buildings (SSB) (20 ewes each). These were roofed with a concrete slab 40 cm thick and 5 m high which was covered with three rows of rice straw bales as thermal insulation. It had natural dirt areas to the north and south. Ten ewes were fed a basal diet, and the others received a basal diet containing TCM (10 gm thyme and 10 gm celery/head/day). Similarly, 20 ewes were treated in a fully-shaded building (FSB) which was roofed with a layer of tin 5 m high and had natural flooring to the west and east. These ewes were fed a basal diet + TCM for 1 month pre-lambing and 2 months post-lambing. Both behavior and weight were recorded bi-weekly. Blood samples were collected monthly to measure oxidative stress indicator reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde, total protein, glucose, gene expression of nuclear factor 2 linked to erythroid 2 (Nrf2), and interleukin 2. Cumulative feed intake was calculated, and milk samples were collected for 2 months after lambing until weaning to measure moisture, ash, total protein, lactose, non-solid fat (NSF), total solids, fat, and antioxidant capacity of milk (free radical and inhibition factor). The findings revealed that sheep exhibited better feeding behavior in the FSB and the oxidative stress indicator was lower than in the SSB. TCM enhanced feeding behavior and decreased the oxidative stress indicator (reduced GSH) in the SSB. Additionally, it increased total protein and dam body weight (at the 6th week) in the FSB and improved feed intake in both buildings. Thyme and celery have antioxidant capacities in milk. Hence, the present data suggest that adding TCM to the basal diet could reduce the stress of climatic changes on lactating ewes and improve animal behavior and immunity leading to enhanced production.

The global economic crisis led to the tendency of consumers to search for cheap food sources of animal origin, including dry sausage, regardless of the quality or safety factor. Nitrite is an important meat additive responsible for the distinctive color and flavor of meat products, inhibits the development of microbial spores, and delays lipid oxidation. At the same time, it has adverse health risks for meat consumers. Celery, Apium graveolens, as a plant rich in nitrate was used in this study for replacing the synesthetic chemical nitrite used in sausage manufacture. Dry sausage samples were divided into three equal groups, the first group without adding sodium nitrite and kept as a control group. The second group was treated with 100 mg/kg of sodium nitrite while the third group was treated with 0.3% celery powder. All groups were periodically examined for sensory and chemical quality parameters. Generally, there are no significant differences (P>0.05) found between sausage groups attributes to appearance. The results of color, flavor, smell, nitrite content, TVN, and TBA of control sausage samples were statistically lower (P<0.05) than those of treated sausage groups. No differences (P>0.05) were found for the attribute color, flavor, smell, nitrite content, TVN, and TBA between those treated with 100 ppm sodium nitrite and 0.3% celery sausages groups. The obtained results concluded that safe dry sausage could be produced with high quality without the addition of synthetic sodium nitrite, by replacing it with 0.3% celery powder. Celery offers a high potential nitrite as natural substitutes improve both the sensory and chemical quality of the dry sausage. However, further research is needed to irrefutably determine all potential benefits content of the celery.