Abstract
During the weaning period, piglets are exposed to different stress factors (environmental, physiological and nutritional stressors) that leads to dysfunctions of both gastrointestinal and immune systems. The wastes resulted from grape processing are rich in bioactive compounds, like polyphenols, fiber, PUFAs and vitamins. In present study we aimed to investigate the effects of diet containing 8% grape seed meal (GSM diet) to counteract the weaning-induced immune system perturbations in piglets. Briefly, the effects of GSM diet on the markers involved in inflammatory processes and oxidative stress were investigated Also, the GSM diet effects on the in-depth signalling markers involved in both inflammatory and anti-oxidant responses modulation (NF-kB, MAPKs and Nrf2) were evaluated. The results showed that the diet with 8% GSM reduced IL-6, IL-12, IL-18, IFN-γ and MCP1 gene expressions in spleen. Also, GSM diet increased the total antioxidant capacity in spleen and the antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD and GPx) activities. These results demonstrated that GSM diet has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, attenuating these processes in spleen of weaned piglets. These effects are probably exerted by MAPKs/NF-kB and Nrf2 pathways Further studies are needed for a complete image on GSM diet effects on the immune system in weaned piglets.