Abstract
ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of colostrum intake on the serum protein electrophoretic pattern in clinically healthy calves, lambs and kids during the first two weeks of life, as well as differences in the protein profile between these species of ruminants. The study included three groups of clinically healthy calves (n = 12), lambs (n = 10) and kids (n = 7). The first blood sampling was performed before the colostrum intake (day 0) and then at 1, 2, 7 and 14 days of age. Blood serum was analysed for the concentrations of total proteins, serum protein electrophoretic fractions and albumin/globulin ratio. Serum protein electrophoresis identified in calves 6 (albumin, α1-, α2-, β1-, β2-, and γ-globulins) and in lambs and kids 5 (albumin, α1-, α2-, β- and γ-globulins) distinct bands. Significant changes were observed in the analysed parameters during the evaluated period in all groups of ruminants. Except of the concentration of total proteins in precolostral serum significant differences in the results were found also between ruminant species. The present study showed significant effect of colostrum intake on concentrations of total proteins and also relative and absolute concentrations of the major of protein fractions in all evaluated species of young ruminants. The results, analysis of which began already in precolostral time, indicate that colostrum feeding is the starting point for significant changes in protein profile in ruminant neonates followed by longer-lasting changes in the following days and weeks of their life.
Highlights
Hundreds of different proteins can be demonstrated in the blood serum, which vary in their concentration, molecular size and function (Racek 2006)
Serum proteins in lambs and kids were separated into 5 fractions including albumin, α1, α2, β- and γ-globulins
Among the evaluated young ruminant species after colostrum intake the most significant changes in all evaluated parameters were recorded in calves
Summary
Hundreds of different proteins can be demonstrated in the blood serum, which vary in their concentration, molecular size and function (Racek 2006). Measurement of plasma or serum protein concentrations often yields important information that can be helpful in narrowing the list of diseases to be considered and, in some cases, in revealing the presence of a specific disease (Allison 2012). A standard method for fractionation and quantification of serum proteins in clinical biochemistry is electrophoresis (Piccione et al 2011a). Serum proteins are separated according to their electric charge using cellulose acetate electrophoresis into four fractions (Bossuyt et al 2006; Alberghina et al 2010). Concentrations of serum proteins are influenced by many physiological (species, age, gender, gravidity, lactation, etc.) and pathological (malnutrition, renal and liver diseases, etc.) factors (Kaneko 1997). Considering that laboratory evaluation of serum proteins and serum protein electrophoretic profile is one of the most useful diagnostic aids available to clinicians, it would be invaluable to have species-, age- and gender-specific reference intervals (Tschuor et al 2008)
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