Evaluation of the ability of an anionic nutritional supplement to improve immune function in dairy cattle around calving

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The dairy industry is economically the third-largest agricultural sector in Canada, with $ 6.7 B in farm receipts**from 945,000 milking cows to just under 11,000 farms and a $19.9 B contribution to national GDP in 2015.**Dairy cows have been described as metabolic athletes. One of the challenges they face is a large and sudden**drop in blood calcium levels (hypocalcemia) right after calving as lactation begins. This transient drop in**blood calcium is risk factor for numerous subsequent health disorders. Recent research highlights that calcium**is one important element in immune function, which is known also to be compromised in the weeks around**calving, and also contributes to the risk of infectious disease at that time. Here, we propose research to explore**the ability of a commercially-available nutritional supplement which helps to prevent hypocalcemia to improve**immune function. We will undertake a controlled experiment in 26 cows from commercial farms fed either an**anionic dietary supplement or a placebo for a preliminary assessment of the effect of this technology on innate**immune function. Specifically, we will assess the effect of the treatment on the functional capacity of**neutrophils (the main cells responsible for the first line of immune defence in the uterus and the udder) to**perform phagocytosis (engulfing bacteria or damaged tissue) and oxidative burst (digestion of engulfed**bacteria). This effect, if established, has the potential to improve the health and well-being of dairy cows, and**to increase adoption of this type of nutritional approach, which currently has only moderate implementation on**Canadian dairy farms.