Abstract
Dietary turmeric supplementation increases immunoglobulin production in swine and rodents. Objectives were to determine the effects of a botanical supplement (formulated blend of turmeric, capsicum, and pepper extract; PHYT), fed pre- and post-calving, on immunoglobulin concentrations in colostrum, milk, and calf serum. Twenty-three (BW = 532.08 ± 9.13 kg; age 36 mo) crossbred Angus cows were randomly assigned to 3 treatments: 1) Not supplemented (CON, n=7); 2) supplemented with 250 mg/head/day (PHYT250, n=8); or 3) supplemented with 500 mg/head/day (PHYT500, n=8) of the supplement. Cows were individually fed the supplement from 30 days pre-calving (d –30) to 60 days post-calving (d 60). Colostrum samples were collected on d 0 (pre-suckling) and days 1, 2, and 3 post-calving for IgG, IgA, and IgM analyses. Milk samples were collected on d 45, 90, and weaning. Blood samples were collected from dams on d -30, 0, and 60, and calf blood was collected 24h after birth and on d 60. Serum was analyzed for concentrations of IgG (cows and calves) and IgA (calves). Immunoglobulins were measured via radial immunodiffusion. Data were analyzed as repeated measures using the MIXED procedure of SAS with treatment, day, and their interaction as fixed effects and animal as a random effect. Linear and quadratic contrasts were used to compare CON, PHYT250, and PHYT500. Significance was set at P≤0.05, and tendencies at 0.06