Dietary supplementation of Sargassum latifolium modulates thermo-respiratory response, inflammation, and oxidative stress in bacterial endotoxin-challenged male Barki sheep.

Endotoxemia is mainly caused by translocation of bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) into the bloodstream. This in turn enhances systemic inflammation and inappropriate production of reactive oxygen species, leading to oxidative injury of vital internal organs and other dangerous effects that can be life-threatening. Here, we evaluated/compared the modulatory effects of consuming two different doses (2% and 4% of the diet) of brown seaweeds (Sargassum latifolium) for 40 consecutive days on thermo-respiratory response, inflammation, and oxidative stress in Barki male sheep (Ovis aries) challenged twice with bacterial LPS (1.25 μg/kg body weight, injected intravenously on days 28 and 35 of the experimental period). The results showed that the diet containing Sargassum latifolium (especially at 4%) modulated significantly (P < 0.05-0.001) the increase in the thermo-respiratory response (skin and rectal temperatures, and respiration rate) and the obtained systemic inflammation (blood leukocytosis, the elevation in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and the increase in serum proinflammatory cytokines and heat shock protein-70 concentrations) in the LPS-challenged sheep. In addition, it improved significantly (P < 0.001, especially at 4%) the total antioxidant capacity of the blood of LPS-challenged sheep by increasing the catalase and superoxide dismutase activities. Moreover, it decreased the blood markers of tissue damage (malondialdehyde concentration and the activities of alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase) in the LPS-challenged sheep. In conclusion, the diet containing 4% Sargassum latifolium may have potential impact in protecting the ruminant livestock from the serious effects of endotoxemia through improving the animals' antioxidant defense system and regulating their inflammatory and thermo-respiratory responses.