Synbiotic supplementation influence select antioxidants markers and immune response of Murrah buffalo calves

Newborn calves undergoes tremendous physiological stress during the early life stage, leading to gut dysbiosis and reduced performance. Synbiotics administration has been shown to play a vital role in immunomodulation by replenishing gut microbiota, thereby conserving and protecting biological membranes against oxidative damage. This study examined the effects of synbiotic supplementation on selected antioxidant markers and immune response in Murrah buffalo calves. A total of twenty-four Murrah buffalo calves aged 5–7 d were enrolled randomly into three treatment groups based on body weight (BW) in a sixty-day feeding trial. Treatments were (1) control (CON); basal diet with no supplementation; (2) SYN1; control + synbiotic formulation 1 (200 mL fermented milk prepared from Lactobacillus acidophilus NCDC15 + 8g Cichorium intybus root powder); (3) SYN2; control + synbiotic formulation 2 (200 mL fermented milk prepared from Limosilactobacillus reuteri BFE7 + 8g Cichorium intybus root powder). Supplementation of SYN1 and SYN2 to calves significantly improved (P < 0.05) the cell-mediated immune response to phytohaemagglutinin-P (CMI; delayed type of hypersensitivity response to PHA-P). At the same time, the humoral immune response to chicken RBC (HIR; antibody titre to C-RBC) was enhanced (P < 0.05) in SYN-fed calves than in CON calves. Moreover, increased superoxide dismutase and catalase activities (P < 0.05) were observed in synbiotic-fed calves compared to CON calves. However, glutathione peroxidase activity was not influenced by SYN supplementation. Overall, the research showed that synbiotic formulations improved the immune system and antioxidant capacity of Murrah buffalo calves, making them less likely to get sick or stressed out during their early lives.