Avaliação de um antioxidante comercial (EconomasE ®) em dietas para gatos adultos

Abstract

Stressful situations are inevitable for cats and result in the increase on the production of free radicals, which are associated to diseases. Thus, we aimed at evaluating the increasing levels of supplementation of a pool of non-enzymatic antioxidants (AOX) in cat diets and its effects over physiological stress, oxidative status evaluation, serum biochemistry, acid-base balance parameters, erythrocyte osmotic fragility, urinary parameters and complete blood count. Twenty-four adult cats were distributed in a completely randomized design with four levels (0, 250, 500, 750 mg of AOX/kg of feed in dry matter) and six replicates during 80 days. Blood was drawn from the cats at fasting in day 0 and at each 20 days (times – T). In the 61st day, the cats were submitted to stress induced by means of the presence of dogs near the experimental enclosure (stress agent; SA) which remained until the end of the evaluations. It was observed that the effects of the induced stress were controlled by the supplementation of AOX, maintaining the serum levels of cortisol and malonic dialdehyde and, consequently, the maintenance of the superoxide dismutase enzyme activity and the reduction of the catalase enzyme activity. There was also an increase of the HDL-c according to the increase on the levels of AOX supplementation. In the acid-base balance parameters there was an increase in the partial pressures of serum carbon dioxide and bicarbonate, according to the increase of the levels of AOX supplementation. There was also the increase of hemoglobin concentration in cats supplemented with the highest levels studied. There was no difference on the remaining variables studied. It is concluded that the AOX is responsible for an important stress control, recommending the level of 750 mg/kg of diet dry matter for adult cats.