Immunity transfer in mule foals fed with good IgG quality colostrum.
Abstract: While the passive transfer of immunity in horse and donkey foals has been extensively studied, there is limited information for mule foals. Immunoglobulin type G (IgG) and serum total protein concentration (TP) were assessed at different sampling times to evaluate the correlation between serum radial immunodiffusion (SRID) with electrophoresis, refractometry, and dry chemistry analyzer (Biuret), and to estimate serum IgG concentrations using serum TP in mule foals. We analyzed a total of 30 samples collected at birth, and at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h of life from 6 mule foals by SRID, electrophoresis TP, biuret TP, and refractometry TP. The SRID IgG concentration significantly increased from birth until T6 (p < 0.001). Serum TP analyzed with refractometry revealed differences between T0 and T12, T24 and T48 (p < 0.05), while a significant difference was observed with the biuret method between T0 and all the other sampling times (p < 0.001). A strong correlation was found between IgG SRID and biuret TP (r = 0.69, p < 0.001), and a good correlation existed between IgG SRID, refractometry TP, and electrophoresis TP (r = 0.44, p < 0.01 and r = 0.39, p < 0.05, respectively). All methods can be used to estimate the passive transfer of immunity in mule foals. TP refractometry and biuret TP values can be used to determine serum IgG concentrations in the blood of mule foals on their first day of life through the application of a specific equation.
© 2024 The Authors.
Publication Date: 2024-01-30 PubMed ID: 38327457PubMed Central: PMC10847646DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25560Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research paper explores the transfer of immunity in mule foals through the consumption of high-quality IgG colostrum, assessing different methods for estimating serum IgG concentrations.
Background
- The passive transfer of immunity, particularly involving Immunoglobulin type G (IgG) from high-quality colostrum, is critical for the early life survival of many mammal infants. In the case of mule foals, information on this aspect is relatively limited.
- The researchers aimed to evaluate the correlation between serum radial immunodiffusion (a technique that measures serum antibodies) with other methods like electrophoresis, refractometry, and Biuret (all techniques to measure total protein in serum). The goal was to estimate IgG concentrations using serum Total Protein (TP) levels in mule foals.
Methodology
- Samples from 6 mule foals were collected at birth and at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after birth, making a total of 30 samples.
- The serum IgG concentrations and TP levels were assessed using radial immunodiffusion, refractometry, Biuret method, and electrophoresis.
Findings
- Serum IgG concentrations significantly increased from birth until 6 hours of life, indicating successful immunity transfer.
- Both refractometry and Biuret method revealed differences in TP levels between birth time and subsequent sampling times, showing significant variability in protein concentration within the first two days of life.
- There was a strong correlation found between the serum IgG measured by radial immunodiffusion and the total protein concentration detected by the Biuret method, and good correlation between IgG levels and refractometry/electrophoresis TP.
Conclusions
- All the tested methods can be effectively used to estimate the passive transfer of immunity in mule foals.
- Both refractometry and the Biuret method can be used explicitly to determine the serum IgG concentrations in mule foals during their first day of life, contributing to an early evaluation of their immunity status.
Cite This Article
APA
Turini L, Francesca B, Matilde V, Francesca B, Valentina M, Micaela S.
(2024).
Immunity transfer in mule foals fed with good IgG quality colostrum.
Heliyon, 10(3), e25560.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25560 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Pisa, Via Del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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