Antioxidant status of dairy cows supplemented prepartum with vitamin E and selenium.
Possible relationships among dietary antioxidants, oxidative status, and placental retention were investigated in periparturient dairy cows. During 6 wk prepartum, 16 cows each were given daily by capsule 1000 IU of vitamin E, 3 mg of Se, both vitamin E and Se, or neither (control). alpha-Tocopherol in serum and fast-acting antioxidants in plasma increased, but, in red blood cells, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances decreased during the last 6 wk before parturition in cows given vitamin E. These measurements were unaffected by supplementation of Se. Cows that had retained placenta > or = 12 h had lower fast-acting antioxidants in plasma and glutathione peroxidase in red blood cells up to 2 wk before calving than did cows that shed fetal membranes in < 12 h. Results suggest that inadequate dietary antioxidants may increase oxidative stress, production of lipid peroxides, and incidence of retained fetal membranes in dairy cows.
Animal Science Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37901-1071.
E
E
Brzezinska-Slebodzinska
J K
JK
Miller
J D
JD
Quigley
J R
JR
Moore
F C
FC
Madsen
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle / Q000378:metabolism*; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D003612:Dairying / Q000379:methods; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D018457:Placenta, Retained / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D012643:Selenium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013997:Time Factors; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
D000975:Antioxidants; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D014810:Vitamin E; D012643:Selenium