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.
Brzezinska-Slebodzinska
E
E
Animal Science Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37901-1071.
Miller
J K
JK
Quigley
J D
JD
Moore
J R
JR
Madsen
F C
FC
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