Effect of Diet Supplementation with Quinoa Seed and/or Linseed on Immune Response, Productivity and Meat Quality in Merinos Derived Lambs

Stressful conditions can play an important role in affecting welfare, productive performances and meat quality of lambs. The relation between nutrition and immune response has been investigated in the livestock production, particularly in dairy cattle and sheep. Due to costs related to animal feed it is useful to evaluate the proper feeding strategy supplementation for improving animal welfare and lamb meat quality. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementation with linseed, quinoa seed and their combination on metabolic profile, immune system, and cortisol response in blood and on meat quality of merinos derived lambs. Both linseed and quinoa supplementation enhanced the immune responses of lambs, and showed a hypo cholesterol effect on blood of lambs. Moreover, lambs supplemented with linseed resulted in the lowest level of cortisol secretion during the loading test demonstrating the link between stress and the immune system. In addition, data from the present experiment highlighted that linseed supplementation in lambs enhance meat quality producing a better meat tenderness. These findings should be considered for development of specific strategies aimed at improving the quality of meat and sustaining lambs’ welfare