ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of vitamin C supplementation on blood oxidative stress biomarkers and antibody response to vaccination in calves. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-four clinically healthy 2 week old Japanese Black calves were randomly assigned to two groups. Seventeen calves formed the VC group which received 1,000 mg of vitamin C daily from 2 to 8 weeks of age, and the other 17 calves of the control group did not receive supplementation. All calves received an inactivated Histophilus somni vaccine at 4 and 8 weeks of age. Blood samples were taken at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks of age. RESULTS: The concentration of the serum reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs), and the oxidative stress index (OSI), which is calculated from the d-ROMs and biological antioxidant potential, were significantly lower at 8 weeks of age in the VC group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The antibody titres to H. somni in the VC group were significantly higher than those in the control group at 12 weeks of age after the second vaccination (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Vitamin C supplementation to calves may reduce oxidative stress and enhance the antibody production after vaccination with H. somni.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of beta-carotene supplementation to Japanese Black calves on the peripheral blood leukocyte population. Twenty-two Japanese Black calves were alternately assigned to two groups. Eleven calves received 20 mg/d of beta-carotene orally from 2 to 8 wk of age (BC group), and the other 11 calves did not receive (control group). The serum beta-carotene concentration in the BC group at 4, 8 and 12 wk of age were significantly higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). The numbers of CD4+ cells in the BC group were significantly higher than those in the control group at 4 wk of age (p<0.05). These results confirmed that beta-carotene supplementation to Japanese Black calves affected the peripheral blood leukocyte population.