EFFECT OF DIETARY FATTY-ACIDS ON HUMORAL IMMUNE-RESPONSE OF TURKEYS

1. This study examined the effect of increasing amounts of dietary pol yunsaturated fatty acids on the fatty acid composition in serum and an tibody production following a standard vaccination programme in growin g turkeys. Turkey poults were fed on 5 diets containing 75g/kg added f at made up of different proportions of palm and soyabean oils, and wer e vaccinated against Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis and necr otic enteritis according to a standard vaccination programme. Blood sa mples were taken before and one week after each vaccination. 2. Fatty acid composition in serum reflected the composition of the diets altho ugh arachidonic acid concentration was not changed by dietary fatty ac id content. Growth, erythrocyte and leukocyte parameters were not affe cted by the respective diets. 3. Specific antibody production was rela ted quadratically to serum linoleic and total n-6 polyunsaturated fatt y acid concentrations. No correlation was found with linolenic or arac hidonic acids. 4. It is concluded that dietary fatty acid composition can augment the specific anti-vaccine immune response in turkey poults .