Dietary tropical seaweed supplementation modulates antioxidant status and immune response in adult Labrador Dogs

Supplementation with G. salicornia and T. conoides may improve certain immune and antioxidant markers in dogs, but the clinical significance of these changes remains uncertain.

Summary and findings

This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with tropical seaweeds Gracilaria salicornia and Turbinaria conoides on biochemical parameters, antioxidant status, and immune responses in adult Labrador dogs. Four adult dogs were assigned to four dietary treatments over 21-day experimental periods. The study found significant increases in several immune and antioxidant indices with G. salicornia supplementation.

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> <p> The present study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with the tropical seaweeds <italic>Gracilaria salicornia</italic> and <italic>Turbinaria conoides</italic> on blood biochemical parameters, antioxidant status, and immune responses in adult Labrador dogs, using <italic>Cichorium intybus</italic> (chicory) as a reference functional feed ingredient. A 4 × 4 Latin square design was employed using four adult Labrador Retriever dogs (~ 7 years; BW 16.48 ± 2.63 kg), four dietary treatments, and four experimental periods of 21 days. Dogs in the control group (CON) received a basal diet(NRC 2006), while groups CH, TC, and GS were supplemented with chicory, <italic>T. conoides</italic> , and <italic>G. salicornia</italic> , respectively, at 3% dietary dry matter. Hematological and serum biochemical parameters remained within normal physiological ranges and were not significantly affected by dietary treatments (P > 0.05). Serum T3 and T4 concentrations were comparable among treatments, whereas serum cortisol concentrations were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the GS and TC groups than in the control. Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were unaffected (P > 0.05); however, supplementation with <italic>G. salicornia</italic> and <italic>T. conoides</italic> significantly increased (P < 0.05) glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, ferric reducing antioxidant power,serum IgG, serum IgA, and cell-mediated immune response, while significantly reducing malondialdehyde concentrations. Among the treatments, <italic>G. salicornia</italic> produced the most consistent improvements in antioxidant and immune indices, indicating its potential as a functional dietary ingredient for adult dogs. </p>

Limitations

• Not reported in abstract.

Elsewhere in the Glutathione (GSH) corpus