Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate dietary lycopene levels on the immune responses of finishing pigs. Forty barrows and 40 gilts, averaging 75.04 ± 1.6 kg of initial weight, were allotted in a randomised blocks design arranged in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme, consisting of two sexes (males and females) and five lycopene levels (0, 12.5, 25.0, 37.5, 50.0 mg/kg of diet). The studied parameters were submitted to the statistical analysis adopting 5% significance. Increasing lycopene in pig diets increased the plasma albumin (p = .023). There was no interaction (p > .05) between sex and lycopene on the leukocyte profile or haematocrit concentration. As lycopene levels increased in the diet, the lymphocyte concentration increased linearly (p = .045). The neutrophil concentration and the neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio were affected (p < .05) by dietary lycopene levels, showing a lower neutrophils concentration at 17.49 mg lycopene/kg of diet, and the lowest neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio was observed at 16.46 mg/kg. Eosinophils were also affected (p = .050) by lycopene supplementation, estimating the greater response by adding 22.69 mg lycopene/kg of diet. There was an interaction (p = .011) between the blood collection period and lycopene levels for anti-BSA IgG, resulting in higher production of anti-BSA IgG with the supplementation of up to 20.06 mg of lycopene/kg of diet. Dietary lycopene supplementation for finishing pigs affected the cellular and humoral immune response, and the highest anti-BSA IgG production was achieved by supplementing 20.06 mg lycopene/kg of diet.
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