To investigate effects of zinc (Zn) supplementation on immune response, haematology and serum biochemical constituents, 90 weaned female Sprague Dawley rats (93.83 ± 1.308g body weight) were randomly allotted to 5 dietary treatments (6 replicates/treatment, 3 rats/replicate). The dietary treatments were basal diet (BD) formulated with purified ingredients without zinc and BD supplemented with 12, 24, 36 and 48 ppm Zn with zinc carbonate and were fed the respective diets for 16 weeks. The alkaline phosphatase activity was higher (P<0.01) in zinc supplemented rats compared to rats fed BD. Zinc supplementation had no effect on Hb concentration, lymphocyte, monocyte, granulocyte, MCV, MCH and MCHC percentage. The RBC and WBC count depressed at 48 ppm Zn supplementation compared to other groups. Zinc supplementation at 24 to 48 ppm enhanced (P<0.05) the serum total protein concentration compared to control. Serum globulin concentration was higher (P<0.05) in zinc supplemented rats compared to unsupplemented ones and the concentration of zinc supplementation had no affect on globulin content in serum. The serum glucose (P<0.01) and cholesterol (P<0.05) concentration higher in rats fed BD and its concentration decreased with Zn supplementation and lowest concentration observed with 12ppm. Zinc supplemented rats had higher (P<0.01) humoral immune response compared to unsupplemented rats with non-significant difference among Zn supplemented (12-48 ppm Zn) rats. The cell mediated immunity (CMI) assed as delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) response was higher (P<0.05) in 36 ppm Zn supplemented rats, while response at 12, 24 and 48 ppm Zn supplementation was comparable to BD fed rats.
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