Chinese yam polysaccharide enhances growth performance and cellular immune response in weanling rats
2009
Kong, Xiang-Feng | Zhang, Yu-Zhe | Yin, Yu-Long | Wu, Guo-Yao | Zhou, Huai-Jun | Tan, Zhi-Liang | Yang, Feng | Bo, Mei-Juan | Huang, Rui-Lin | Li, Tie-Jun | Geng, Mei-Mei
BACKGROUND: In order to develop a novel dietary additive for potential application in domestic animals and humans, a fraction of Chinese yam polysaccharide (CYP) was prepared and a study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with CYP on the immune response and growth performance in weanling rats.RESULTS: Dietary supplementation with CYP increased the average daily feed intake and average daily gain but decreased the feed/gain ratio overall compared with the non-supplemented group. CYP also significantly increased the serum contents of interleukin-2 and tumour necrosis factor and the proliferation activity of peripheral lymphocytes but decreased the serum contents of low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol and triglyceride compared with the non-supplemented group.CONCLUSION: The increase in cellular immunity in CYP-supplemented weanling rats confers an important protective role in the non-specific defence against infections. This herbal polysaccharide, as a natural green dietary additive for promoting the immune response and healthy growth, may offer an effective alternative to antibiotics for weanling animals.
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