Effect of selenium and chromium supplementation on liver profile in growing Vrindavani male calves exposed to thermal stress in Psychrometric chamber

Introduction

India is the country with the largest dairy herd in the world compared to industrialized countries that produce milk (Rhoads et al., 2009) [15] . Different meteorological conditions, such as high ambient temperature, air movement patterns, solar radiation intensity, wind speed fluctuations and the relative humidity of the ambient environment have a substantial influence on dairy production (Maurya et al., 2018) [9] . By the 21st century's end, environmental temperatures are expected to have risen by 1.5 °C (IPCC, 2018). Rhoads et al. (2009) [15] reported that due to rise in environmental temperature (global warming) ranging from 0.3 to 4.8 °C, there will be direct and indirect consequences for animal production systems because of thermal stress in animals. Animals that experience heat stress activate physiological systems that can include behavioural, neuroendocrine, and endocrine responses Maurya et al., (2015) [11] . Hormone and neurotransmitter release are influenced by the neuroendocrine system's activation, and these chemicals work together as response mechanisms to help organisms cope with stress (Sejian et al., 2011; Maurya et al., 2019) [17,10] . Antioxidants are added in animal's diets as part of nutritional management to minimize oxidative damage during heat stress (Chauhan et al. 2020., Maurya et al., 2024) [4,8] . Now a days a number of feed additives, such as niacin, vitamin A, C, E, selenium (Se) and chromium (Cr) are added in animal's diet to reduce the adverse consequences of heat exposure by preventing oxidative damage in the animals experiencing heat stress (Chauhan et al., 2020., Verma et al., 2025) [4,18] . Selenium (Se) is a dietary trace element which acts as an essential co-factor of glutathione peroxidase and acting as an antioxidant enzyme which is very essential for the animal's productivity. Chromium (Cr) is essential micro mineral which is vital for the metabolism in animals (Lashkari et al., 2018) [6] . Cr plays a crucial role in the cellular breakdown of fat, protein, and carbohydrates and is a very important component of the glucose metabolism and it also act as an antioxidant role (Sahin and Sahin, 2002) [16] . The dietary supplementations of Cr in heat stressed calves helps in maintaining their health and immune system up to some extent (Sahin and Sahin, 2002) [16] . In the present study dietary CR and SE are being used as an antioxidant to ameliorate the heat stress on animals.

Materials and Methods

The present experiment was carried out at the Nuclear Research Laboratory and the Physiology and Climatology Division at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar (UP). The proposed experiment was conducted in a psychrometric chamber by the Physiology and Climatology Division of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar Bareilly (UP). The animals were used in switch over design. The calves were randomly divided into five groups (6 animals each) viz. Group I (control, maintained in the shed on normal feeding without any treatment), Group II heat stress (HS), Group III (HS+ Chromium (Cr) supplementation), Group IV (HS+ Selenium (Se) supplementation) and Group V (HS+ Cr+ Se supplementation) for monitoring the effect of Astaxanthin supplementation on various group of animal. The Dietary supplementation of Chromium was given @ 0.5mg/kg/DMI/day and Selenium @ o.3mg/kg/DMI/day respectively. The respective groups of animals were exposed to 38 0 C in Psychrometric chamber for 6 hours (9:00 AM-3:00 PM) a day. The duration of all experimental groups of animal was 28 days for each group. Blood samples were collected from animal on weekly basis. Blood samples were collected on 1st, 7th, 14 th (Acclimatization period under shed) and 1st, 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th day of exposure at respective schedule of experiment. Further, blood sample were also collected from all the animals at day 35th day of experiment (recovery period). The serum sample from blood samples were separated for the estimation of ALT and AST.

ALT (Alanine

Statistical analysis:

The data collected throughout the experimental period was analyzed by using two way ANOVA.

Results and Discussion

The analysed results of ALT and AST have been shown in the

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)

The Mean ±SE value of control and treatment (HS, HS+Cr, HS+Se, and HS+Cr+Se) group have been presented in the Table 1 and Figure 1. Prior to exposure, there was no significant difference in the ALT levels between the control (Shed), HS, HS+Cr, HS+Se, and HS+Cr+Se, respectively. The ALT levels was Significantly higher (p<0.05) in the animals exposed to psychrometric chamber without any treatment at day 7th, 14th, 21th and 28 th days of study as compared to animal maintain in the shed without any treatment as well as HS+Cr, HS+Se, and HS+Cr+Se group of animals. The dietary supplementation of HS+Cr, HS+Se, and HS+Cr+Se had a significantly (p<0.05) lower values of ALT at day 7th, 14th, 21th and 28 th days of experiment. However the level of ALT was lowest in HS+Cr+Se group of animals as compared to all other group of animals.

In accordance to our finding Yadav et al., (2012) [19] reported an increase in serum ALT activity in cattle exposed in the climate chamber. The serum ALT activity rises (Nazifi et al., 2003) [12] as environmental temperature rises. The heat stress induced oxidative damage of the liver lead to an increased activity of ALT concentration in the heat stress exposed group of animals. (Li et al., 2015). The supplementation of Sodium Selenite in male cattle reduced ALT concentration in the blood serum as reported by Aderao et al. (2020) [2] which also support our findings. The Paul et al. (2015) [13] reported that the Cr and Se supplementation decrease the level of AST and ALT in heat exposed cows which is also coincide with our finding. From all the previous finding it may be concluded that the supplementation of Cr, Se and Cr+Se together reduces the ALT concentration in heat induced growing Vrindavani cross bred male calves as compared to calves exposed under psychrometric chamber without any treatment.

Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)

The Mean ±SE value of control and treatment (HS, HS+Cr, HS+Se, and HS+Cr+Se) group have been depicted in the Table 2 and Figure 2. During treatment day 7th, 14th, 21th and 28 th days, the AST levels was Significantly higher (p<0.05) in the animals exposed to psychrometric chamber without any treatment as compared to animal maintain in the shed without any treatment. The supplementation of HS+Cr, HS+Se, and HS+Cr+Se had a significantly (p<0.05) lower values of ALT at day 7th, 14th, 21th and 28 th days of experiment. However the level of AST was lowest in HS+Cr+Se treated group of animals as compared to all HS+Cr, HS+Se group of animals. Chandra Bhan et al., reported an increase in AST levels in the summer exposed animals as compared to the spring season in cattle. In support of our study Abdelatif et al.

(1995) [1] obtained as higher AST and ALT values in animals maintained in extremely hot conditions compared to animals reared in the cold climatic conditions. The finding of Paul et al. (2015) [13] , also supports our study finding that the feeding of Cr and Se decreases the level of AST in the cow exposed to thermal stress. The research finding of Sultana et al., (2022) similar to our finding as she reported a significant decrease (p<0.05) in level of AST, when the heat exposed calf were treated with Se and Cr as compared heat exposed calves without any treatment.

Conclusion

The animals exposed to HS showed highest level of ALT and AST. Our research finding indicates that there is significant difference between ALT and AST values when the animals were supplemented with Cr, Se and Cr+Se separately. There was no significant (P>0.05) difference between ALT and AST values when animals were maintained in the shed without any treatment and as well values obtained during recovery period. On the 7 th , 14 th , 21 st and 28 th day of the research period, highest value of AST and ALT value was found out in heat exposed group of animals as compared to HS+Cr, HS+Se, and HS+Cr+Se respectively. The finding of our study showed a protective effect of Cr, Se and Cr+Se on liver metabolic activity which very conducive for the animals which are facing the hazardous environmental fluctuations.

References

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