THE EFFECT OF BETA-CAROTENE AND NUCLEOTIDE BASE SUPPLEMENTATION ON HEMATOLOGICAL, BIOCHEMICAL AND CERTAIN IMMUNOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN WEANED PIGS

The effect of synthetic beta-carotene and of synthetic nucleotide base s was investigated in this experiment. Beginning one week prior to wea ning, the diet fed to one experimental group of piglets was supplement ed with 10 % Rovimix beta-carotene at 875 mg/kg diet (10 times the rec ommendation of the NRC,1988). Synthetic uracil and adenine (98%, Sigma -Aldrich) were mixed into the diet for the other experimental group at quantities of 500 mg/kg diet of each substance. During the 3-week per iod of the experiment changes in the daily weight gain of the animals, their feed consumption and certain blood parameters were examined. Ch anges which could be observed with the progress of time in the haemato logical parameters (RBC, WBC, Hb, HTC, MCV, MCH, MCHC), in the ESR and in certain biochemical parameters (TP, ALE, CHOL, TRIG, UREA, ALT and AST) can be regarded as physiological. The LST values given for Phyto haemagglutinin and Concanavalin-A increased in the experimental groups by 50 and 130%, respectively (nucleotide), and by 60 and 30%, respect ively, (carotene) respectively, while the blastic transformation of th e lymphocytes did not vary in the control group. The supplements appli ed exerted no positive effect on in vivo cellular immune response. No significant degree of difference was observed between the plasma retin ol concentrations determined at the end of the experimental period, (c ontrol: 376 +/- 183, nucleotide: 412 +/- 268 and carotene: 349 +/- 251 mu g/L) while there was a decrease in plasma E-vitamin concentration due to carotene supplementation (control: 5.58 +/- 2.36, nucleotide: 5 .83 +/- 3.01 and carotene: 2.12 +/- 1.60 mg/L).