The present study was carried out with eighteen Murrah buffalo calves of average age (8.7 +/- 0.86 months) and body weight (125 +/- 9.67 kg) were selected and divided into 3 groups of 6 animals each fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 (T1), 5 (T2) and 10 (T3) ppm Ni and feeding trial lasted for 120 days. Supplementation of nickel up to 10 ppm did not show any significant effect (P > 0.05) on intake, excretion, absorption and retention patterns of calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc and manganese and their levels in plasma. However, the retention of Ni and its level in plasma were increased linearly (P < 0.05) with the level of nickel in their diet and it was the highest in T3 group. The retention of iron was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in T3 and T2 groups than T1 group. Furthermore, plasma levels of Fe were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in T3 group compared with T1 group. The selected hematobiochemical parameters, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, total antioxidant capacity and plasma IGF-1 levels were comparable (P > 0.05) among the groups. However, hemoglobin, red blood cell, hematocrits, plasma glucose and catalase activity were significantly higher (P < 0.05); while, total cholesterol and cortisol levels lowered (P < 0.05) in group T3 as compared to T1 and T2 groups. Thus, it may be concluded that feeding Murrah buffalo calves a diet supplemented with 10 ppm of nickel had no determinantal effects on hematobiochemical parameters or minerals utilization. Additionally, it positively influenced nickel and iron balance, improved the physiological condition and health status by enhancing catalase activity, plasma glucose and hematology parameters, and lowered stress hormone and serum total cholesterol.
