The Effect of Dietary Humic Substances on Cellular Immunity and Blood Characteristics in Piglets

Lukáš Bujňák, Alena Hreško Šamudovská, Dagmar Mudroňová, Pavel Naď, Slavomír Marcinčák, Iveta Maskaľová, Michaela Harčárová, Viera Karaffová () and Martin Bartkovský
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Lukáš Bujňák: Department of Animal Nutrition and Husbandry, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice, Slovakia
Alena Hreško Šamudovská: Department of Animal Nutrition and Husbandry, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice, Slovakia
Dagmar Mudroňová: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice, Slovakia
Pavel Naď: Department of Animal Nutrition and Husbandry, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice, Slovakia
Slavomír Marcinčák: Department of Food Hygiene, Technology and Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice, Slovakia
Iveta Maskaľová: Department of Animal Nutrition and Husbandry, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice, Slovakia
Michaela Harčárová: Department of Animal Nutrition and Husbandry, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice, Slovakia
Viera Karaffová: Department of Morphological Disciplines, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice, Slovakia
Martin Bartkovský: Department of Food Hygiene, Technology and Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice, Slovakia

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: This study’s objective was to determine the impact of dietary humic substances on immune response and blood profiles in piglets. A total of 24 crossbred piglets (Slovakian White × Landrace; 35 days old; average body weight of 11.67 kg) were allotted to two dietary groups with (experimental; 5 g·kg −1 ) or without (control; 0 g·kg −1 ) natural humic substances supplementation. In this study, we observed a significant increase of the proportion of CD4+CD8- lymphocytes ( p < 0.001) in the experimental group. The results also showed a tendency for an increase of the phagocytic activity and the engulfing capacity of phagocytes and the numbers of the other monitored lymphocyte subpopulations (CD3+, CD21+, CD4-D8+, CD4+CD8+, CD4+CD25+) in piglets in the experimental group compared to the control group. Supplementation of humic substances increased serum alkaline phosphatase compared to the control group ( p < 0.05). Other monitored blood parameters were not significantly affected by dietary treatment. It concluded that inclusion of humic substances in the diet of piglets could have a stimulating effect on cellular immunity, without a negative effect on haematological and biochemical parameters.

Keywords: humic substances; phagocytosis; lymphocyte; blood biochemistry; haematology; piglets (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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