Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the microalgae Schizochytrium sp., as a dietary source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), on dogs with gingivitis. Two diets containing 0 and 0.4% of microalgae Schizochytrium sp. were offered for 30 days to 12 randomly distributed adult Beagles to determine gingivitis. Gingivitis score and area were analyzed on days 0 and 30. Prior to the analysis, the area was gently cleaned with cotton wool on the surface of the crown of the teeth. There was no change in the gingivitis score (P>0.05). However, there was a reduction (P<0.05) in the area affected by gingivitis (day 30 - day 0) in animals supplemented with 0.4% microalgae Schizochytrium sp. The addition of 0.4% dietary microalgae reduced the area of gingivitis on dogs.
Highlights
Gingivitis, considered a silent and progressive disease, has a high occurrence rate in dogs due to its chewing habit
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) acts as a substrate of endogenous lipid mediators involved in the resolution phase of inflammation in periodontal disease (Sete et al, 2013)
This microalgae may represent a promising organism for DHA supplementation in diets, since it has a high concentration of this fatty acid readily available (Souza et al, 2019), helping to delay the development of inflammations caused by the incidence of gingivitis (Lourenço et al, 2018)
Summary
Gingivitis, considered a silent and progressive disease, has a high occurrence rate in dogs due to its chewing habit. The use of compounds with an anti-inflammatory effect in dogs diet may help to control gingivitis, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6, n-3) (Naqvi et al, 2014). DHA is mainly present in the oil of some fishes and seaweeds, as the microalgae Schizochytrium sp. This microalgae may represent a promising organism for DHA supplementation in diets, since it has a high concentration of this fatty acid (approximately 20%) readily available (Souza et al, 2019), helping to delay the development of inflammations caused by the incidence of gingivitis (Lourenço et al, 2018)
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