Preliminary comparison of different immune and production components in local and imported Saanen goats reared under a sub-tropical environment

Trop Anim Health Prod. 2012 Jan;44(1):87-93. doi: 10.1007/s11250-011-9892-3. Epub 2011 Jul 1.

Abstract

Three objectives were included in this research work. The first objective compared different immune components in healthy mature males, mature females, and female kids of local and imported Saanen goats, reared under a sub-tropical environment. The significantly differing immune components were the blood monocyte percent, blood CD8 count, and the total white blood cell count. The second objective compared the performance of Saanen versus local does. The means of the milk yield and prolificacy of the imported Saanen does were significantly higher than those of the local does (p<0.05). The third objective compared the immune responses (hemagglutination-HA titers) and complement fixation (CF) titers in mature does of the two breeds to chicken red blood cells (c-RBC). The HA titers showed a significant seroconversion only in imported Saanen (p<0.05) but not in local does; however, the CF titers increased significantly at 4 weeks following priming with c-RBC in local (p<0.05) but not in the imported Saanen does. The impact of the differences in blood immune components and responses to antigens in the compared goats on protection potential against prevalent diseases in the sub-tropical zone of the eastern Mediterranean countries is discussed.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological
  • Age Distribution
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Antigens / analysis
  • Blood Chemical Analysis / veterinary
  • Cell Count / veterinary
  • Chickens
  • Complement Fixation Tests / veterinary
  • Erythrocytes / chemistry
  • Female
  • Goats / blood
  • Goats / genetics
  • Goats / immunology*
  • Goats / physiology*
  • Hemagglutination Tests / veterinary
  • Lactation
  • Male
  • Middle East
  • Milk / cytology*
  • Milk / immunology
  • Milk / metabolism
  • Random Allocation
  • Sex Distribution
  • Tropical Climate

Substances

  • Antigens