Summary Hyaluronidase, a proteoglycan‐degrading enzyme, may have an influence on collagenolysis in bovine placenta and take part in the separation processes of the placenta in cows. There was, however, no evidence concerning the activity of this enzyme in those tissues. The experiment was performed on cows divided into two groups as follows: A, placenta not retained (n = 16); and B, placenta retained (n = 9). The activity of the enzyme was measured using a spectrophotometric method and zymography. The results showed statistically significant higher activity of hyaluronidase in the maternal and fetal parts of the placenta in cows with a retention of fetal membranes. Further experiments require substrate specificity studies and the presence of regulatory factors of this enzyme in bovine placental tissues.

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