Effect of supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and/or β-glucans on performance, feeding behaviour and immune status of Holstein Friesian bull calves during the pre- and post-weaning periods

Table 8 Effect of FO and GL supplementation in calf milk replacer on haematology variables

	Fish Oil (FO)			β-Glucans (GL)			Period (P) relative to weaning				P-value^e
	–	+	SED	–	+	SED	Pre	Peri	Post	SED	FO	GL	P
Haptoglobin, mg/mL	0.28	0.26	0.024	0.25	0.30	0.024	0.34	0.26	0.22	0.022	0.057	0.034	<.0001
WBC^a, × 10³ cells/μL	11.2	9.4	1.28	10.6	10.0	0.54	9.8^A	10.5^B	10.6^B	0.28	0.185	0.272	0.004
RBC^b, × 10⁶ cells/μL	23.2	23.0	1.14	23.1	23.1	0.44	23.5^A	22.6^B	23.2^A	0.17	0.940	0.927	<.0001
Neutrophils, %	29.1	29.0	1.81	27.5	30.6	1.81	27.7^A	28.4^A	31.1^B	1.31	0.913	0.149	0.009
Lymphocytes, %	56.5	57.5	1.92	59.2	54.8	1.92	58.2	56.6	56.3	1.11	0.568	0.027	0.114
Monocytes, %	10.4	9.9	0.58	9.9	10.4	0.58	10.3^A	10.7^A	9.5^B	0.33	0.444	0.345	0.001
Leukocyte, %	0.70	0.86	0.138	0.74	0.83	0.050	0.79^A	0.84^AB	0.72^AB	0.044	0.379	0.427	0.001
Osmolality	6.09	6.12	0.086	6.00	6.20	0.086	5.77^A	6.30^B	6.23^B	0.065	0.716	0.021	<.0001
IFN- γ PHA^c	0.61	0.49	0.074	0.64	0.47	0.074	0.71^A	0.54^B	0.41^C	0.055	0.162	0.019	<.0001
IFN- γ Con A^d	1.11	1.02	0.072	1.16	0.97	0.072	1.17^A	1.04^B	0.99^AB	0.047	0.234	0.012	0.009

^aWhite blood cells
^bRed blood cells
^cIFN- γ PHA = Lymphocyte interferon gamma production in response to phytohaemagglutinin A expressed as absorbance at 450 nm
^dIFN- γ Con A = Lymphocyte interferon gamma production in response to concanavalin A expressed as absorbance at 450 nm
^eThere were no interactions between the main effects detected for haematology variables with the exception of a FO × P interaction for haptoglobin where during the peri-weaning period there was a strong tendency (P = 0.053) for FO supplemented calves to have lower haptoglobin concentrations compared with un-supplemented calves (Peri-weaning: 0.22 vs 0.30 mg/mL; SED = 0.035) for FO+ vs FO–), however no differences were detected in either the pre- or post-weaning periods
^A-CMeans within a row with different superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05)

ISSN: 2049-1891