The addition of curcumin to the diet of post-weaning dairy calves: effects on ruminal fermentation, immunological, and oxidative responses

AbstractIncorporating Curcumin into animal diets holds significant promise for enhancing both animal health and productivity, with demonstrated positive impacts on antioxidant activity, anti-microbial responses. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether adding Curcumin to the diet of dairy calves would influence ruminal fermentation, hematologic, immunological, oxidative, and metabolism variables. Fourteen Jersey calves were divided into a control group (GCON) and a treatment group (GTRA). The animals in the GTRA received a diet containing 65.1  mg/kg of dry matter (DM) Curcumin (74% purity) for an experimental period of 90 days. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 15, 45, and 90. Serum levels of total protein and globulins were higher in the GTRA group (P <  0.05) than the GCON group. In the GTRA group, there was a reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß and IL-6) (P <  0.05) and an increase in IL-10 (which acts on anti-inflammatory responses) (P <  0.05) when compared to the GCON. There was a significantly higher (P <  0.05) concentration of immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the serum of the GTRA than the GCON. A Treatment × Day interaction was observed for haptoglobin levels, which were higher on day 90 in animals that consumed Curcumin than the GCON (P <  0.05). The catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were significantly higher (P <  0.05) in GTRA, reducing lipid peroxidation when compared to the GCONT. Hemato...
Source: Tropical Animal Health and Production - Category: Veterinary Research Source Type: research