Metabolic evaluation of dairy cows submitted to three different strategies to decrease the effects of negative energy balance in early postpartum

Abstract

In early lactation dairy cattle suffer metabolic alterations caused by negative energy balance, which predisposes to fatty liver and ketosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the metabolic condition of high yielding dairy cows subjected to three treatments for preventing severe lipomobilization and ketosis in early lactation. Fifty four multiparous Holstein cows yielding >30 L/day were divided into four groups: control (CN= no treatment), glucose precursor (PG= propylene-glycol), hepatic protector (Mp= Mercepton®), and energy supplement with salts of linolenic and linoleic faty acids (Mg-E= Megalac-E®). Treatments were administrated randomly at moment of calving until 8 weeks postpartum. Blood samples were collected on days 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49 postpartum. Body condition score (BCS) was evaluated at the same periods and milk yield was recorded at 2 nd , 4 th , 5 th , 6 th , 7 th , and 8 th weeks of lactation. Concentrations of non-esteriϐied fatty acids (NEFA), albumin, AST, ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), cholesterol, glucose, total protein, urea and triglycerides were analyzed in blood samples. Cut-off points for subclinical ketosis were deϐined when BHBA ≥1.4 mmol/L and NEFA ≥0.7 mmol/L. General occurrence of subclinical ketosis was 24% during the period. An ascendant curve of cholesterol and glucose was observed from the 1 st to the 8 th week of lactation, while any tendency was observed with BHBA and NEFA, although differences among treatments were detected (p≤0.05). BCS decreased from a mean of 3.85 at 1 st week to 2.53 at 8 th week of lactation (p=0.001). Milk yield was higher in the Mg-E group compared with the other treatment groups (p≤0.05) Compared with the CN group, the treatments with Mp and PG did not show signiϐicant differences in blood biochemistry and milk yield. Cows receiving PG and Mg-E showed higher values of BHBA and NEFA (P<0.05), indicating accentuated lipomobilization. Supplementation with Mg-E also resulted in signiϐicant higher concentrations of cholesterol, BHBA, urea, AST and lower values of glycemia. This performance may be explained by the highest milk yield observed with this treatment. Treatments with PG and Mp did not improve milk yield, compared with control cows, but did not show metabolic evidence of ketosis, fat mobilization or fatty liver. These results suggest that treatment with Mg-E improves milk production but induces a higher negative energy balance leading to moderated lipomobilization and ketone bodies production, increasing the risk of fatty liver.

The Dynamics of Biochemical Parameters in Blood of Clinically Healthy Holstein Cows from Day 5 before to Day 60 after Calving

“…Triglyceridemia indicates the capability of liver for synthesis apolipoprotein B-100, VLDL for elimination of triglycerides in the blood stream during the whole peripartal period, but diminished concentration was significant on day 60 after calving, when NEFA concentrations were very low. These results agree with some previously published results from other investigators (8,10).…”

“…During the calving the glucose level rapidly increases, which is explained as a result of stress and hormonal status changes (5,6). After calving, during the early lactation, the glucose level is significantly lower compared with the period before calving (7,8), and this could be considered as introduction to NEB where synthesis of milk compounds in the mammary gland exceeds the gluconeogenesis capacities of liver, and leads to development of metabolic (production) diseases (8,9). Increased utilization of glucose by the mammary gland vs. decreased glucoplastic compounds input and decreased gluconeogenesis cause development of hypoglycemia, which very often could be associated with a disorder of the lipid metabolism (7,10).…”

Occurrence of subclinical metabolic disorders in dairy cows from western Santa Catarina state, Brazil

“…The occurrence of subclinical ketosis in western Santa Catarina was lesser (9%) than the values reported by other studies in the southern region of Brazil, as Gonçalves (2015) who mentioned an prevalence of 35% of this disorder or Garcia et al (2011) who found 24% in cows from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Cucunubo et al (2013) found 14.8% of subclinical ketosis in dairy cows from southern Chile and Garro et al (2014) in Argentina found similar values of subclinical ketosis to our study (10.3%).…”

Blood Parameters of Lactating Cows Fed Calcium Salts as Energetic Source

“…The negative energetic balance of lactating cows that occurs during the few weeks postpartum shifts the hormonal profile of the animal [22]. These alterations may lead to metabolic disturbance as ketosis, lipid infiltration [5] and hypocalcaemia [16]. The serial levels of glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and cholesterol are parameters that reveals liver condition and it is very important for the metabolism of milking cows [22].…”