EFEITO DA PAREDE CELULAR DE SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE NA IMUNIDADE E SAÚDE RESPIRATÓRIA E INTESTINAL DE BEZERRAS NEONATAS

Abstract

Although there is evidence that yeast supplementation reduces diseases in newborn calves, little is known about the effect of yeast cell wall (LCW), a fraction that concentrates more immunomodulatory substances. For this reason, we evaluated whether YCW supplementation improves immunity and reduces the occurrence of respiratory and intestinal diseases in newborn calves, in a sanitary challenge of colibacillosis and vaccination against bovine respiratory complex (BRC). Forty healthy calves (39.65 ± 2.8 kg of body weight and 4 days of age) were randomly divided into four groups: control (C), supplemented (10 g/day YCW), vaccinated (V- intranasal vaccination against BRC virus), and supplemented vaccinated (V+LCW). Milk supplementation was daily from day 0, at the age of 4 days. The vaccine was administered in a single dose at 19 days of age. From 4 to 39 days of life, the occurrence of CRB, diarrhea and weight gain were monitored. Immunity was measured by the oxidative metabolism of blood neutrophils, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and serum IgG and IgA levels at 4, 22, 25 and 39 days of life of the calves. There is evidence that YCW reduced diarrhea and CRB in the animals. It promoted greater production of serum IgA (V+YCW > V P=0.045) and prevented the reduction of neutrophil oxidative metabolism after the vaccine (V+YCW> V P=0.05), promoting greater weight gain in the animals (YCW and V+YCW > C and V, P<0.001), allowing us to conclude that YCW improves the health of neonatal calves.