Effect of administration of fish oil on aspects of cell-mediated immune response in periparturient dairy goats

Ten days before kidding, 18 Saanen dairy goats were divided into matched control (C) and fish oil-administered (FO) groups of nine animals each. The FO group received 27 g per day cod liver oil from 10 days before kidding to parturition, and 45 g per day cod liver oil from kidding to 15th day of lactation. Skin tests were performed 4 days before, and 4 and 15 days after parturition at 0, 8, 16, and 24 h after injection of 250g of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). Blood plasma was sampled 10 and 4 days before, and 4 and 15 days after parturition for differential leukocyte count. Serum lysozyme contentwas determined by lyso plate assay with Micrococcus lysodeikticus. FOsupplementation significantly increased skin thickness after PHA injection, and blood lymphocyte levels on day 4 of lactation, while polymorphonucleocytes (PMNs) were significantly increased 4 days before and 4 days after kidding. There were no differences in the proportion of monocytes. Serum lysozyme levels were significantly lower in the FO group. We conclude that administration of cod liver oil may improve some aspects of the cell-mediated immune response around the periparturient period in the goat.