The results obtained in this study demonstrated that a
dietary supplementation with linseed does not markedly
influence the innate immunity response of the transition ewe. On the contrary, the antibody production
againstS. Abortusoviswas shown to be increased by the
linseed-enriched diet. This can be of particular importance in the transition period, considering the feeding- and
management-related diseases associated with the depression of the immune system in both dairy cattle and sheep.
Under our experimental conditions, the EL concentrateenriched diet was able to induce a transitory overproduction of oxidants in the NP ewes, whereas no effects were
observed in the transition ewes.
The effects of litter size on the immune response and the
oxidative status need to be confirmed by large-scale experiments. Further in vivo investigations using experimental
infections might be necessary to determine the biological
effects of PUFA-enriched diets on the immune response in
the ruminant species