Phytotherapy in geriatric canine care: managing oxidative stress, inflammation and gut wellness

Ageing in dogs is a complex phenomenon often associated with chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and intestinal microbiota changing that can compromise dogs’ overall health [ 1 ]. The use of phytotherapeutics with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and probiotic properties represents a promising approach to improve the quality of life in elderly dogs. In this study we have tested a mix of Passiflora , Whitania somnifera and Taraxacum officinale in aged dogs, orally administered for 40 days. Blood and serum samples have been collected at the beginning of the experiment (T0), after 20 (T1) and 40 days (T2), and used for biochemical analysis, detection of interleukins by ELISA, and for malondialdehyde (MDA) and Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assay. Fresh feces have been collected at the same time points to evaluate gut microbiota modification by 16S-rRNA sequencing. Results revealed that C-reactive protein (CRP) at T0 was significantly higher than T1 and T2 (p