title: Increase in plasma total antioxidant capacity of grazing Japanese Black heifers and cows in forestland in Japan.
abstract: Blood total antioxidant capacity (TAC) has become a key bio-marker for animal health. Forest-grazing cattle are known to forage various native plants that have high TAC. This study evaluated differences of plasma TAC between forest-grazing (FG) and pasture-grazing cattle (PG). Experiment 1 monitored the plasma TAC levels of 32 Japanese Black cattle. The level in PG did not change throughout the grazing period. However, that in FG, which increased from summer, was significantly higher than that in PG through fall (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, we used nine Japanese Black heifers and investigated their blood antioxidant parameters and the TAC in plants that the cattle consumed in late June and September. The plasma TAC levels in FG were significantly higher than those in PG in both periods (P < 0.05). Plasma levels of lipid peroxidation in FG tended to be lower than that in PG (P = 0.098). Furthermore, the TAC levels in various species of shrubs and trees consumed by FG were higher than those in pasture grasses. Results of this study show that plasma TAC of grazing Japanese Black cattle in forestland increase from summer through fall.
authors.affiliation: Grassland Management Research Division, NARO Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, Nasushiobara, Tochigi.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haga
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishizaki
authors.forename: Miwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Miya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kariya
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D060434:Herbivory / Q000502:physiology*; D007564:Japan; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D010945:Plants, Edible; D006109:Poaceae; D012621:Seasons; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Japanese Black cattle; forest grazing; pasture grazing; shrub foraging; total antioxidant capacity