Yağ Asitlerinin Bağışıklık Üzerindeki Rolleri

Türkiye Klinikleri, cilt.1, ss.20-29, 2019 (Hakemli Dergi)

Efficient functioning of the immune system is important to protect animals from infectious

diseases, which can negatively affect the health, production performance and welfare. The

need for innate and adaptive immun responses to protect animals from pathogenic infections is already

known. Possible changes in the immune function may have positive or negative effects on the

diseases. The immune response of animals is influenced by some basic nutrients which have an effect

on immune system functions, and the role of fatty acids in those functions have already been

recognized. In the case of any internal or external stress factor for the animals, the body cells need

an energy source to deal with this inflammation. Fatty acids are an important source of energy for

the organism and are vital components of cell membranes at the same time. Since dietary fatty acid

modifications may alter the fatty acid composition of body fats, they can affect a number of immune

function parameters such as lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine synthesis, natural killer (NK) cell

activity, phagocytosis, etc. On the other hand, n-6 and n-3 fatty acids which are variable in the

feedstuffs or in fats added to feed, are important because they are precursor of metabolites that are

mediators of inflammation. In the current review, the effects of fatty acids on immune function in

poultry, ruminants and cat-dogs was evaluated by demonstrating the results of studies examining

their effects on immune function.