FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Annu Rev Anim Biosci / Impact of Micronutrients on the Immune Response of Animals.
Annual review of animal biosciences2018; 6; 227-254; doi: 10.1146/annurev-animal-022516-022914

Impact of Micronutrients on the Immune Response of Animals.

Abstract: Vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) play an important role in regulating and shaping an immune response. Deficiencies generally result in inadequate or dysregulated cellular activity and cytokine expression, thereby affecting the immune response. Decreased levels of natural killer, granulocyte, and phagocytic cell activity and T and B cell proliferation and trafficking are associated with inadequate levels of micronutrients, as well as increased susceptibility to various adverse health conditions, including inflammatory disorders, infection, and altered vaccine efficacy. In addition, most studies of micronutrient modulation of immune responses have been done in rodents and humans, thus limiting application to the health and well-being of livestock and companion animals. This exploratory review elucidates the role of vitamins and minerals on immune function and inflammatory responses in animals (pigs, dogs, cats, horses, goats, sheep, and cattle), with reference to rodents and humans.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2018-02-16 PubMed ID: 29447473DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-022516-022914Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research paper explores the crucial role of vitamins and minerals (collectively called micronutrients) in regulating an animal’s immune response. It explains how inadequacies can negatively affect the immune system, contributing to various health problems. The study explores this topic with various animals and relates insights to human health.

Role of Micronutrients in Immunity

  • The paper’s primary subject is the importance of micronutrients in controlling and shaping an immune response. It explains that micronutrient deficiencies can lead to inadequate or dysregulated cellular activity and cytokine expression, which are key processes in immunity. Essentially, without the right nutrient levels, cells may not function properly, and the immune response can be skewed.

Effect of Micronutrient Deficiency

  • The effect of micronutrient deficiency is directly linked to decreased levels of natural killer cells, granulocytes, and phagocytic cells, along with suppression of T and B cell proliferation and trafficking. These cells play a crucial role in identifying and eliminating pathogens, and their reduced activity due to insufficient nutrient levels can increase susceptibility to various adverse health conditions.
  • Increased susceptibility to inflammatory disorders and infections and altered vaccine efficacy are also consequences of micronutrient deficiency, making them critical elements of animal and human health.

Current Research and Limitation

  • Most of the studies conducted on micronutrient modulation of immune responses have been done in rodents and humans. This limits our understanding when it comes to the health and well-being of livestock and companion animals like dogs, cats, horses, goats, sheep, and cattle. The paper acknowledges this limitation while using available studies to extrapolate potential impacts on these animals.

Purpose of the study

  • The exploratory review aims to clarify the role of vitamins and minerals on immune function and inflammatory responses in animals. It distinguishes between different types of animals, using references to studies conducted on rodents and humans to give a clearer understanding of the unique benefits and needs of each species.

Cite This Article

APA
Smith AD, Panickar KS, Urban JF, Dawson HD. (2018). Impact of Micronutrients on the Immune Response of Animals. Annu Rev Anim Biosci, 6, 227-254. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-animal-022516-022914

Publication

Annual review of animal biosciences
ISSN: 2165-8110
NlmUniqueID: 101614024
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 6
Pages: 227-254

Researcher Affiliations

Smith, Allen D
  • United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Diet, Genomics & Immunology Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350, USA; email: harry.dawson@ars.usda.gov.
Panickar, Kiran S
  • Science & Technology Center, Hills Pet Nutrition Center, Topeka, Kansas 66617, USA.
Urban, Joseph F
  • United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Diet, Genomics & Immunology Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350, USA; email: harry.dawson@ars.usda.gov.
Dawson, Harry D
  • United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Diet, Genomics & Immunology Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350, USA; email: harry.dawson@ars.usda.gov.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Avitaminosis
  • Humans
  • Immune System / drug effects
  • Immune System / physiology
  • Inflammation / physiopathology
  • Mammals
  • Trace Elements / deficiency
  • Trace Elements / pharmacology
  • Vitamins / pharmacology

Citations

This article has been cited 19 times.
  1. Fikri F, Hendrawan D, Wicaksono AP, Purnomo A, Khairani S, Chhetri S, Maslamama ST, Purnama MTE. Incidence, risk factors, and therapeutic management of equine colic in Lamongan, Indonesia. Vet World 2023;16(7):1408-1414.
    doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.1408-1414pubmed: 37621536google scholar: lookup
  2. Somagond YM, Alhussien MN, Dang AK. Repeated injection of multivitamins and multiminerals during the transition period enhances immune response by suppressing inflammation and oxidative stress in cows and their calves. Front Immunol 2023;14:1059956.
    doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1059956pubmed: 36845154google scholar: lookup
  3. Winter SN, Fernandez MDP, Taylor KR, Wild MA. Associations between hair trace mineral concentrations and the occurrence of treponeme-associated hoof disease in elk (Cervus canadensis). BMC Vet Res 2022 Dec 23;18(1):446.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-022-03547-3pubmed: 36564777google scholar: lookup
  4. Jachimowicz-Rogowska K, Topczewska J, Krupa W, Bajcar M, Kwiecień M, Winiarska-Mieczan A. Seasonal Changes in Trace-Element Content in the Coat of Hucul Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022 Oct 14;12(20).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12202770pubmed: 36290155google scholar: lookup
  5. Aboul-Naga AM, Alsamman AM, El Allali A, Elshafie MH, Abdelal ES, Abdelkhalek TM, Abdelsabour TH, Mohamed LG, Hamwieh A. Genome-wide analysis identified candidate variants and genes associated with heat stress adaptation in Egyptian sheep breeds. Front Genet 2022;13:898522.
    doi: 10.3389/fgene.2022.898522pubmed: 36263427google scholar: lookup
  6. Zhang L, Liu J, Dai Z, Wang J, Wu M, Su R, Zhang D. Crosstalk between regulated necrosis and micronutrition, bridged by reactive oxygen species. Front Nutr 2022;9:1003340.
    doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1003340pubmed: 36211509google scholar: lookup
  7. Khan MA, Heiser A, Maclean PH, Leath SR, Lowe KA, Molenaar AJ. Growth performance, antibody response, and mammary gland development in New Zealand dairy replacement bovine heifers fed low or high amounts of unpasteurized whole milk. J Anim Sci 2022 Oct 1;100(10).
    doi: 10.1093/jas/skac219pubmed: 35723246google scholar: lookup
  8. De Luca LM, Petrides VH, Darwiche N, Armey L, Palmer A, West KP Jr. Immunodeficiency Accelerates Vitamin A Deficiency. Curr Dev Nutr 2021 Nov;5(11):nzab129.
    doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzab129pubmed: 34870072google scholar: lookup
  9. Shurson GC, Hung YT, Jang JC, Urriola PE. Measures Matter-Determining the True Nutri-Physiological Value of Feed Ingredients for Swine. Animals (Basel) 2021 Apr 27;11(5).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11051259pubmed: 33925594google scholar: lookup
  10. Asín J, Ramírez GA, Navarro MA, Nyaoke AC, Henderson EE, Mendonça FS, Molín J, Uzal FA. Nutritional Wasting Disorders in Sheep. Animals (Basel) 2021 Feb 15;11(2).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11020501pubmed: 33671862google scholar: lookup
  11. Hosain MZ, Kabir SML, Kamal MM. Antimicrobial uses for livestock production in developing countries. Vet World 2021 Jan;14(1):210-221.
    doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.210-221pubmed: 33642806google scholar: lookup
  12. Williams AR, Andersen-Civil AIS, Zhu L, Blanchard A. Dietary phytonutrients and animal health: regulation of immune function during gastrointestinal infections. J Anim Sci 2020 Apr 1;98(4).
    doi: 10.1093/jas/skaa030pubmed: 31999321google scholar: lookup
  13. Elliott CT, Connolly L, Kolawole O. Potential adverse effects on animal health and performance caused by the addition of mineral adsorbents to feeds to reduce mycotoxin exposure. Mycotoxin Res 2020 Feb;36(1):115-126.
    doi: 10.1007/s12550-019-00375-7pubmed: 31515765google scholar: lookup
  14. Raheemi H, Afsheen Z, Abbas H, Rizwan HM, Sargison N, Hamdard E, Bahear W, Usman M, Deeba F, Ebaid H. Serosurveillance of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus antibodies in livestock as a reservoir for human infection in Afghanistan. One Health 2025 Jun;20:101065.
    doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101065pubmed: 40486752google scholar: lookup
  15. Barroso C, Fonseca AJM, Cabrita ARJ. Vitamins, Minerals and Phytonutrients as Modulators of Canine Immune Function: A Literature Review. Vet Sci 2024 Dec 16;11(12).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci11120655pubmed: 39728995google scholar: lookup
  16. Mainardi E, Corino C, Rossi R. The Effect of Vitamins on the Immune Systems of Pigs. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jul 21;14(14).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14142126pubmed: 39061588google scholar: lookup
  17. Zhang H, Nuermaimaiti Y, Hao K, Qi Y, Xu Y, Zhuang Y, Wang F, Hou G, Chen T, Xiao J, Guo G, Wang Y, Li S, Cao Z, Liu S. Supplementation with Combined Additive Improved the Production of Dairy Cows and Their Offspring with Maintenance of Antioxidative Stability. Antioxidants (Basel) 2024 May 27;13(6).
    doi: 10.3390/antiox13060650pubmed: 38929089google scholar: lookup
  18. El-Sayed A, Ebissy E, Mohamed R, Ateya A. Effects of antioxidant vitamins (A, D, E) and trace elements (Cu, Mn, Se, Zn) administration on gene expression, metabolic, antioxidants and immunological profiles during transition period in dromedary camels. BMC Vet Res 2024 Mar 13;20(1):101.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-03959-3pubmed: 38481237google scholar: lookup
  19. Santos MJB, Ludke MCMM, Silva LM, Rabello CBV, Barros MR, Costa FS, Santos CS, Wanderley JSS. Complexed amino acid minerals vs. bis-glycinate chelated minerals: Impact on the performance of old laying hens. Anim Nutr 2024 Mar;16:395-408.
    doi: 10.1016/j.aninu.2023.11.006pubmed: 38371472google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,344 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.