Effect of a trace mineral injection at weaning on growth, antioxidant enzymes activity, and immune system in Nellore calves.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of injectable trace minerals (ITM) at the time of weaning on growth, antioxidant, and immune response of Nellore (Bos indicus) calves. Weaned calves (n = 159; 213 ± 32 kg) were stratified by body weight (BW) and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: injection (1 mL/45 kg of BW) of saline or ITM. Saline solution consisted of 0.9% NaCl, whereas ITM had 60, 10, 5, and 15 mg/mL of Zn, Mn, Se, and Cu, respectively. The application of ITM increased (P ≤ 0.04) the plasma concentrations of superoxide dismutase on day 7 and plasma glutathione peroxidase on day 7 and day 21. The ITM calves had greater leukocyte concentration on day 64 (P = 0.04), whereas neutrophil and mast cell concentrations did not differ (P ≥ 0.67) between treatments. The ITM calves tended (P ≤ 0.08) to have greater concentrations of lymphocytes on day 64 and eosinophils on day 21, but not (P ≥ 0.15) monocytes, erythrocytes, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin compared to saline calves. The ITM calves had less mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC; P = 0.02) and tended to have increased platelet concentrations on day 21 (P = 0.08). Growth performance did not differ between treatments (P ≥ 0.78). Thus, ITM at weaning did not impact growth performance, but increased plasma concentrations of antioxidant enzymes and blood platelets, improved components of the immune system, and reduced MCHC of Nellore calves.

Efeito de um complexo homeopático “Homeobase Convert H®” em ovinos sob condições de restrição Alimentar / Effect of a homeopathic complex “Homeobase Convert H®” in sheep submited in feed restriction condictions

Avaliou-se o efeito de um complexo homeopático em ovinos distribuídos em quatro grupos: sem homeopatia e com restrição alimentar (A1B2); com homeopatia e com restrição alimentar (A2B2);com homeopatia e sem restrição alimentar (A2B1) e sem homeopatia e sem restrição alimentar (A1B1). Com 30 dias de restrição alimentaro grupo A2B2 apresentou nível sérico de cortisol semelhante (p>0,05)aos dos grupos A2B1 e A1B1, o que se observou no grupo A1B2 somente com 75 dias. Aos 15 dias após primovacinação todos os grupos possuíam anticorpos acima do nível mínimo de proteção de 0,5UI/mL. As concentrações médias de anticorpos atingiram níveis abaixo do mínimo de proteção aos 30 dias em alguns animais de todos os grupos e, somente o grupo A2B2 manteve a média acima deste nível durante os 90 dias de avaliação. O indicativo de diferença(p=0,054) entre a média da titulação de anticorpos do grupo A2B2 e os demais grupos, seis dias pós-vacinação, sugere que a proteção neste grupo ocorreu em menor tempo do que nos demais grupos. Os modelos de regressão estimam concentrações séricas de anticorpos maiores para os grupos A2B1 e A2B2, em relação aos grupos A1B2 eA1B1, obtendo-se, aos 15; 30 e 45 dias pós-vacinação, indicativos de diferenças entre as suas médias (p=0,067; p=0,091 e p<0,05 respectivamente). Conclui-se que complexo homeopático, ministrado a ovinos sob restrição alimentar, possui efeito sobre o estresse, reduzindo a concentração sérica de cortisol e promovendo uma maior concentração sérica de anticorpos.

It was evaluated the effect of a homeopathic complex in sheep distributed in four groups: without homeopathy and with alimentary restriction (A1B2); with homeopathy and alimentary restriction (A2B2); with homeopathy and without alimentary restriction (A2B1), and without homeopathy and without alimentary restriction (A1B1). After 30 days of alimentary restriction, the group with homeopathy (A2B2) had already presented an average serum level of cortisol similar (p>0,05) to the groups without restriction (A2B1 and A1B1). It was observed in the group without homeopathy (A1B2) only after 75 days. After 15 days post-vaccination all the groups had antibodies above the minimum level of protection of 0,5UI/mL. The medium concentrations of antibodies reached levels below the minimum of protection to the 30 days in some animals of all groups and, only the group A2B2 kept on average above this level during the 90 days of evaluation. The indicative of difference (p=0,054) between the titration average of antibodies from the group A2B2 and the other groups, six days after vaccination, suggests that the protection in this group occurred in smaller time than in the other groups. Regression models estimate higher serum concentrations of antibodies for the groups A2B1 and A2B2, regarding the groups A1B2 and A1B1, obtaining indicators of differences between their averages (p=0,067;p=0,091 and p<0,05 respectively) 15, 30 and 45 days after vaccination. It was concluded that the homeopathic administered to ovine under alimentary restriction, has effect on stress, reducing the serum concentration of cortisol which can cause a higher rise in the serum concentration of antibodies.