Study of the Effect of Synbiotic Diet on Haematological and Oxidative Indexes Changes in Male Dogs

Synbiotic products are functional foods/feeds that contain both probiotic and prebiotic strains and have health-promoting effects beyond those of probiotics or prebiotics alone.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of synbiotic feed containing the probiotic strain Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 (10¹² cfu/g) and inulin (5%) on changes in haematological and oxidative serum indices in male dogs.

Twelve male dogs in two groups of six were included in the study. In addition to the basic feed, the dogs in the treatment group also received the synbiotic supplement at 5% in each of their three meals during 29 days. Then, on Day 0 and Day 29, the amount of malondialdehyde was measured based on thiobarbituric acid, and glutathione peroxidase activity and the amount of total serum antioxidants was also measured with the Randox kit; the obtained data were statistically analysed.

The results showed that white blood cells increased (from 10.28 ± 2.89 to 16.48 ± 7.59 [p = 0.138]) and red blood cells decreased (from 6.492 ± 0.64 to 5.92 ± 1.14 [p = 0.461]) in the treatment group, but these changes were not significant. In the treatment group, it was found that synbiotic food has a significant effect on the increase of MCH (from 24.32 ± 0.93 to 26.30 ± 1.04 pg [p = 0.003]) and MCHC (from 33.24 ± 0.32 to 36.58 ± 0.72 g/dL [p < 0.001]), but it does not have a significant effect on the decrease or increase of other haematological factors. Also, significant reductions in the amount of malondialdehyde (from 3.2 ± 1.05 to 1.35 ± 1.05 µmol/L [p = 0.015]) and increases in the number of total serum antioxidants (from 0.27 ± 0.06 to 0.42 ± 0.09 mmol/L [p = 0.035]) were obtained in the treatment group.

It concluded that the consumption of synbiotic feed (L. acidophilus + inulin, at the rate of 5%) in male dogs may reduce and prevent oxidative stress, adjust side effects and prevent some disorders. In any case, many studies are needed to definitively prove these results.