Table 4 Plasma metabolic variables (albumin, globulin, total protein, βHB, NEFA, Glucose, creatine kinase), acute phase proteins (fibrinogen, haptoglobin) and immune variables Concanavalin-A (Con-A) induced and Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) induced interferon-γ (IFN-γ) of finishing beef steers on day 0 and day 150

Albumin

d 0

32.64^a

32.44^a

32.90^a

32.56^a

32.81^a

NS

P < 0.05

NS

(g/l)

d 150

34.16^b

34.63^b

34.23^b

34.54^b

34.01^b

Globulin

d 0

41.43

41.58

41.83

41.68

42.19

NS

NS

NS

(g/l)

d 150

41.02

39.92

40.59

40.39

38.88

Total protein

d 0

74.06

74.02

74.72

74.24

74.99

NS

NS

NS

(g/l)

d 150

75.18

74.55

74.82

74.93

72.88

βHB

d 0

0.27^a

0.27^a

0.29^a

0.27^a

0.29

NS

P < 0.05

NS

(mmol/l)

d 150

0.23^b

0.23^b

0.23^b

0.22^b

0.28

NEFA

d 0

0.15

0.17

0.17

0.19

0.22^a

NS

P < 0.05

NS

(mmol/l)

d 150

0.16

0.18

0.15

0.16

0.13^b

Glucose

d 0

3.98^a

3.93^a

4.05^a

4.01^a

3.99

NS

P < 0.05

NS

(mmol/l)

d 150

4.29^b

4.21^b

4.30^b

4.34^b

4.12

Creatine kinase

d 0

273.5^a

255.8^a

266.0^a

244.0^a

321.8^a

NS

P < 0.05

NS

(U/l)

d 150

165.9^b

183.3^b

159.3^b

166.3^b

173.8^b

Fibrinogen

d 0

489.0^a

483.2^a

502.3^a

498.6^a

511.0^a

NS

P < 0.05

NS

(mg/dl)

d 150

382.3^b

366.0^b

364.2^b

348.1^b

351.2^b

Haptoglobin

d 0

0.75^a

0.75^a

0.76^a

0.77^a

0.78^a

NS

P < 0.05

NS

(g of Hb binding capacity/l)

d 150

0.64^b

0.58^b

0.62^b

0.58^b

0.55^b

Concanavalin-A (CON-A) induced IFN-γ

d 0

1.04

1.03

0.83

0.98

0.93

NS

NS

NS

Absorbance @450 nm

d 150

0.95

1.05

0.84

1.07

0.93

Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) induced IFN-γ

d 0

0.90^a

0.83^a

1.06^a

0.91^a

0.81^a

NS

P < 0.05

NS

Absorbance @450 nm

d 150

0.48^b

0.52^b

0.59^b

0.59^b

0.58^b