Black Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) Hydroalcoholic Extract as an Ameliorating Agent against Heat Stress Conditions of V-Line Rabbit Does

The manuscript entitled 'Black maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) hydroalcoholic extract as an ameliorator agent against heat stress conditions of V-line rabbit does' has some major issues that must be addressed before the manuscript is suitable for publication.

Thank you for tracking the time to review our manuscript and providing your valuable insight.

Q1

In tables 3 and 4 there are some issues. Please explain the 100% mortality with the supplement at 600 mg (T4) in July that was significantly different T3. However, in August the mortality was similar to T3 even though the animals experienced severe heat.

Was there another factor affecting mortality of these animals in the experiment? Were these animals healthy before the experiment with regular vaccinations, coccidiostats or dewormed? Please explain this major variation. The mortality of T4 was greater than the control group.

R.

- Thank you for these important notes. The 100% mortality with the supplement at 600 mg (T4) in July resulted because the rabbits in T4 developed a sudden nervous state as a result of exposure to heat stress and killed the whole litters as it was placed with it in the same cage. Where this case only happened in July, but it was not repeated in does as a result of continued exposure to heat stress (Line 339-345).

- About the status of experimental animal health we have stated a sentence about that in materials and methods (Line 92-95).

Q 2

The title should be adjusted to 'ameliorating' rather than 'ameliorator', this should be done throughout the manuscript. This has been highlighted in the attached document.

R.

Thank you for your comment and suggestion. According to your comments, we have modified it (Line 3)

Q3

Revisions are to be made in the headings of all tables for a more accurate representation of information (See attached document).

R.

The suggestion has been incorporated. Thank you.

Q4

In the discussion some of the variations observed in treatment groups were not addressed. (See document attached).

R.

Thank you for your comments. We have addressed all comments in attached document.

Reviewer #1: Attached File

L3: Ameliorating? instead of ameliorator?

R. Done (Line 3) Thank you.

L18: Mating? not Matting.

R. Done (Line 18 ) Thank you.

L25: ameliorating? instead of amelierator?

R. Done (Line 25) Thank you.

Line 154: Please omit 'other'. It could read '' Blood samples were also collected........''

R. Thank you for your recommendation. We have revised and re-formulated the sentence according to your comment (Line 157).

L158: Please rephrase.  Hematological parameters such as hemoglobin were determined using commercial kits .......

R. Thank you for your recommendation. We have revised and re-formulated the sentence according to your comment (Line 161-162).

Line 192: If the table shows severe, very severe and absent with respect to heat stress using THI indices, what is the reference used to make such a statement? Please state reference.

R. Done (Table 2)

 Table 3: This should read parameters, this column heading is incorrect.

R. The suggestion has been incorporated. Thank you.

Table 4: In this table please explain the 100% mortality with the supplement at 600 mg (T4). However, in August the mortality was similar to T3 even though the animals experienced severe heat stress.

R. During July, the rabbits in T4 developed a sudden nervous state as a result of exposure to heat stress and killed the whole litters as it was placed with it in the same cage. Where this case only happened in July, but it was not repeated in does as a result of continued exposure to heat stress (Line 342-345).

 L246: A statement should be made on the haematological parameters in comparison to reference values for healthy rabbits. Does the animlals reared in the experiment fall within normal limits for each parameter. This should be stated.

R. Thank you for your comment and suggestion. According to your comment, we have stated the sentence with references ( Line 361-363)

L250-251: How could animals have the highest RBC parameters yet have the highest mortality (T4) of litters in July?

R. Although the rabbits does in T4 treatment had the highest value of red blood cells, during July, the rabbits in this treatment (T4) suddenly showed severe nervous symptoms as a result of exposure to heat stress, thus they killed the whole litters as it was placed with it in the same cage. This case only happened in T4 in July, but it was not repeated in does in any treatment due to continued exposure to heat stress. Which confirmed the adaptation of rabbits to the heat stress conditions, and the useful effect of using maca extract to alleviate these drastic effects of heat stress on exposed rabbits.

L303: classification of THI by [14], This can  be stated in the table.

R. Done. Thank you.

L318: From other side, Please rephrase. A sentence should not start with a conjunction.

R. Thank you for this important recommendation. We have rephrased the sentence (Line 322).

L324: The.” please revise

R. Done (Line 328 )

L332-334: It would have been a good to analyze the extract used in this study for these compounds using HPLC or GC-MS. As it is not the changes in treatment groups have to be speculated.

R. Thank you for this important recommendation. We will take this into consideration in future studies.

L375: NEW please revise capitalization

R. Thank you for this important remark. We have corrected to NZW.

L385: Where, the reduced of serum, Please revise English

R. Done (Line 400)

L389: NEW capitalization?

R. Thank you for this important remark. We have corrected to NZW.

L391: powder for 1,200 mg kg-1 BW Please revise English

R. Done (Line 406)

L401: NEW capitalization?

R. Thank you for this important remark. We have corrected to NZW.

Overall, the study was well planned and carried through; the information given in the text provides a good background as well as perspectives of the positive effects of maca intake for alleviate heat stress conditions of V-line rabbit does.

Thank you so much for your time invested into reading our manuscript, your words of kindness and suggestions for improvement.

Q1

Line 96: Matting (mating)

R.

Done (Line 99)

Q2

Line 100: Faces (feces)

R.

Done (Line 104)

Q3

Line 150: Analyses (analysis)

R.

Done (Line 153)

Q4

All abbreviations used in tables should be defined in the table, for example: Hemoglobin (Hb); RBCs; Hct; MCV; MCH; MCHC; WBCs

R.

Thank you for your suggestion. According to your comments, we have modified it (Table 7).