Effect of Maternal Dietary Condensed Tannins from Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) on Gut Health and Antioxidant-Immune Crosstalk in Suckling Lambs

Ewes fed sainfoin (a source of condensed tannins “CT”) may influence the homeostasis gastrointestinal tract suckling lambs. This study investigated effects CT from in maternal diet on plasma fructosamine, faecal coccidian excretion, and gene expression immune antioxidant markers jejunum ileum Twelve Rasa Aragonesa lambs with their dams were selected. The was based fresh (SAINFOIN, n = 6) + polyethylene-glycol (SAINFOIN PEG, as a CT-binder, plus daily supplement 200 g barley both groups. A lower percentage that shed more than 10 oocysts/g faeces observed SAINFOIN compared to PEG group (p 0.07). Jejunal transforming growth factor-β1, tumour necrosis factor-α, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) 1 4 < 0.05). In contrast, ileal catalase GPX2 increased Overall, results suggest presence dams’ diets has positive effect reducing excreted oocysts favours antioxidant-immune crosstalk at gut level