Investigation of the effect of vitamin C and mineral supplementation on some acute phase proteins, antioxidant enzyme levels, serum biochemistry and hematological parameters in pregnant sheep

Aim: The study was carried out to investigate the effects of vitamin C (Ascorbic acid), mineral mixture (Copper gluconate, sodium selenite, manganese gluconate, zinc gluconate) and vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) + mineral mixture (Copper gluconate, sodium selenite, manganese gluconate, zinc gluconate)applications on oxidant/antioxidant balance, acute phase proteins, haematology and some biochemical parameters in pregnant and lactating ewes at certain intervals starting from the third month of pregnancy until birth. Material and Method: In the study, 60 healthy Ivesi breed female ewes were used. Pregnant ewes were divided into 4 groups as G1 (n:15) control group, G2 (n:15) vitamin group, G3 (n:15) mineral mixture group, G4 (n:15) vitamin + mineral mixture group. From the 3rd month of gestation until birth, the G2 group received 5 ml vitamin C injection every week. G3 group received 0.6 ml mineral injection every two weeks. The G4 group received weekly vitamin C injection and fortnightly mineral mix injection on the day following the vitamin C injection. G1 group received 5 ml saline injection once a week in accordance with the other groups. Blood samples were taken from the ewes at the 3rd, 4th and 5th months of pregnancy, as well as during early lactation (1st month of lactation) and late lactation (3rd month of lactation). MDA, TAS, TOS, OSI, haptoglobin (Hp), ceruloplasmin (Cp), haematology and routine biochemistry analyses were performed. Variance analyses were performed with the obtained data and p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: In haematological parameters, statistically significant differences were found in Hb, RBC, Hct and MCV levels in intergroup comparisons (p<0.05). In intra-group comparison, significant changes were observed in WBC, Hb, RBC, Hct, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW CV, RDW SD and MPV parameters (p<0.05). Significant differences were found in ALP, CK, Mg, Na, Na, P, total protein and progesterone levels in biochemical parameters between groups (p<0.05). Significant differences were found in ALP, AST, CK, GGT, LDH, glucose, creatinine, total protein, urea, Mg, P, Na, K and progesterone levels (p<0,05). Significant differences were found in TAS, OSI and MDA parameters, which are markers of oxidant/antioxidant status, and in Hp and Cp levels, which are acute phase proteins, both within and between groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: When the results of the study were evaluated, it was found that vitamin C and vitamin C+mineral mixture applications starting from the 3rd month of pregnancy and continuing until delivery increased MDA levels in 5-month pregnant women, but the same negative effects were not observed in the mineral mixture group. Therefore, it may be recommended to apply vitamin C and vitamin C + mineral mixture for one month starting from the 3rd month of pregnancy and mineral mixture until the end of pregnancy. In this respect, further studies are needed in which different doses of vitamin C and vitamin C+mineral mixture can be tested.