Milk supplemented with dried seaweed affects the systemic innate immune response in preweaning dairy calves

Intact seaweed or extracts are used as feed supplements to improve the gut microbiome in young animals. Seaweeds provide functional polysaccharides, and they a good source of vitamins, minerals, phenolic compounds, all which relevant for immune system development. However, literature on effects dried supplementation development is limited, especially calves. This experiment aimed study effect feeding milk supplemented with Ulva lactuca, Ascophyllum nodosum, Saccharina latissima systemic status preweaning dairy Forty male Holstein calves birth body weight 41 ± 4 kg plasma Brix percentage ?8.7% at d 2 after were this study. Calves fed L cow twice day (total 8 L/d). From 28, control group (n = 10) received without supplementation. Over same period, experimental lactuca (SW1; n 10), nodosum (SW2; (SW3, 10). Dried ground seaweeds offered daily allowance 50 g/8 (i.e., approximately 5% inclusion rate dry matter basis). Blood samples collected from jugular vein 2, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28 birth. Plasma concentrations total protein, albumin, immunoglobulins, acute-phase proteins serum amyloid A, fibrinogen, haptoglobin) measured. We detected no differences average gain, protein. contrast analysis revealed that fibrinogen (SW1 SW2) A (SW2 SW3) significantly higher groups compared group. also found tendency high haptoglobin Differences protein could be partially explained by large micromineral intake between seaweed-supplemented Feeding increased variables related innate response