Milk supplemented with dried seaweed affects the systemic innate immune response in preweaning dairy calves

This study examined the effects of supplementing milk with three types of seaweed (Ulva lactuca, Ascophyllum nodosum, and Saccharina latissima) on the immune status of preweaning dairy calves. Over a 28-day period, researchers found that while growth performance and plasma immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA) were not affected, calves receiving seaweed showed increased levels of acute-phase proteins such as fibrinogen, serum amyloid A, and haptoglobin.
These markers are associated with the innate immune system, which the authors suggest is partially driven by difference in micromineral intake from the seaweeds.