THE STATE OF PIGLET IMMUNE SYSTEM UNDER THE ACTION OF “BUTASELMEVIT-PLUS” FEED ADDITIVE

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of “Butaselmevit-plus” feed additive on the immune sys-tem status of piglets upon weaning. The experiments were conducted on the basis of the LLC “KOSHET” of Mukachevo district, Zakarpattia region. Two groups of pigs were formed – control (C) and experimental (E), in the number of 10 individuals in each group, selected on the basis of analogues – age, breed and body weight. Feeding of animals was conducted according to norms for the given age of pigs. On the 28th day of life, piglets were weaned and rearranged from different pens for further keeping during fattening and com-pletion of growing with dietary structure changes, which was a technological stress for the animal organism. Beginning from the age of 5 days, piglets of all groups were additionally fed with pre-starter combined feed. From the 21st to the 40th days of age the piglets of the experimental group were additionally fed with “Bu-taselmevit-plus” feed additive at a dose of 100 mg / kg of body weight per day. The research material was blood collected in the morning before feeding the animals by puncturing the vena cava cranialis on the 20th day of life (the period before weaning), on the 25th day of life (the period before weaning), on the 30th day of life (the 2nd day after weaning), on the 35th day of life (the 7th day after weaning), and on the 40th day of life (the12th day after weaning. Feeding “Butaselmevit-plus” feed additive to piglets increases the number of T and B lymphocytes in their blood. The preparation components help to activate the cellular part of piglets’ immune system before and after weaning. It should also be mentioned that additional feeding “Butaselmevit-plus” feed additive to piglets, increases the functional activity of piglets’ immune competent cells after wean-ing, due to redistributing the receptor apparatus of T and B lymphocytes in the direction of increasing their avidity. While feeding piglets with “Butaselmevit-plus” feed additive at weaning, the increased humoral lev-els of the immune system throughout the entire experiment were observed. Increasing phagocytic activity of neutrophils by 4.26 % in piglets of the experimental group on the 35th day of life at feeding “Butaselmevit-plus” feed additive was registered. Similar differences were observed regarding the effect of “Butaselmevit-plus” feed additive on the phagocytic number and phagocytic index in particular in the piglets of the experi-mental group on the 35th day of the experiment, they were 7.5 and 11.2 % higher than in the control.