NUTRITION AS A TOOL TO MODULATE PRODUCTION ANIMAL HEALTH

Nutrition plays an important role in maintaining a good health status of animals as nutrients can modulate oxidative status, immune and inflammatory response. Moreover, there is a need of innovative additives and feeds that can improve organism defences against diseases. The aim of this work was to monitor different markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in production animals in response to different feed additives. In this study, first, the activation of Nuclear factor-E2 related factor 2 in transgenic mice fed different sources and amount of fatty acids was monitored. Inducing the transcription of genes involved in oxidative stress response, Nrf2 represents one of the main actor in the organism defence against oxidative stress. In this phase, we used an innovative technique of in vivo imaging that allowed us to follow the experimental subject in time and in vivo. reducing significantly animal stress. Secondly, an evaluation of different oxidative and inflammatory markers was carried on post-weaning piglets fed with melon pulp concentrate. The double aim of this trial was to validate melon pulp concentrate as a feed additives to improve immune response in challenged pigs and to monitor the trends of commonly used markers during LPS challenge. Then, as the effectiveness of new feed additives are under investigation and their effect on intestinal health need to be demonstrated, is essential to turn attention to intestinal health biomarkers, non- or minimally invasive. For this reason, the main aim of the last study was to develop and validate a new sandwich ELISA test for the quantification of Pacreatitis Associated Protein in pig faecal samples. Finally, an observational study on a new Oxidative Stress Index (OSi) was conducted on dairy cows during the transition period. The driving hypothesis was that a composed index, as OSi, predicts more accurately the oxidative status than the evaluation of reactive oxygen species or serum antioxidant capacity separately. Furthermore, the relationship between indexes of oxidative status and markers of energy balance as blood free fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate, was determined.