Plasma vitamin C concentration is not related to the incidence of ketosis in dairy cows during the early lactation period.
Many animals including cattle can synthesize vitamin C from glucose. The objective of this study was to investigate plasma vitamin C concentration in ketotic cows during the early lactation period because glucose supply for vitamin C synthesis might be limited in these cows. We measured plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentration in 118 cows within 2 months after parturition. Subclinical/clinical ketosis was quantitatively determined using a plasma BHBA threshold of 1,200 microM. Plasma glucose concentration was lower in the ketotic cows than in the control cows but plasma vitamin C concentration did not differ between the control and the ketotic cows. Then we measured plasma vitamin C, BHBA and glucose levels in 7 cows during the periparturient period. Plasma BHBA increased and plasma glucose decreased after parturition but plasma vitamin C did not change. These results indicate that plasma vitamin C is not related to the incidence of ketosis in the early lactation period. We suggest that ketotic cows have the ability to produce vitamin C to meet its requirement in the early lactation period although glucose supply is not sufficient for milk production. Vitamin C synthesis is possibly given a high metabolic-priority for glucose in lactating cows.
Padilla
Licza
L
Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University.
Shibano
Ken-ichi
K
Inoue
Jun
J
Matsui
Tohru
T
Yano
Hideo
H
D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / Q000097:blood; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003612:Dairying; D005260:Female; D007564:Japan; D007662:Ketosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D007774:Lactation
D001786:Blood Glucose; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid