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Blood indicators are used as a tool to diagnose metabolic disorders. The present work was conducted to study the relationships among blood indicators of lipomobilization and hepatic function in high-yielding dairy cows. Two groups of Holstein cows were studied: 27 early lactation cows and 14 mid lactation cows from four different herds with similar husbandry characteristics in Galicia, Spain. Blood samples were obtained to measure beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), triglycerides (TG), and the activity of aspartate transaminase (AST) and gamma-glutamyl transferase. Cows in early lactation had higher levels of BHB and NEFA than mid lactation cows. High lipomobilization (NEFA > 400 µmol/L) was detected in 67% and 7% of early lactation and mid lactation cows, respectively, while subclinical ketosis (BHB > 1.2 mmol/L) was detected in 41% and 28% of the early lactation and lactation cows, respectively. TG concentrations were low in all cows suffering subclinical ketosis and in 61% of the cows with high lipomobilization. During early lactation, 30% of cows suffered hepatic lipidosis as detected by levels of AST. Compromised hepatic function was observed in early lactation cows as shown by lower concentrations of glucose, total protein, and urea.

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From a clinical point of view, oxidative stress (OS) is considered the primary cause of numerous metabolic processes in transition cow. Thus, the addition of antioxidants has been considered a palliative or preventive treatment. But beyond the clinical perspective, antioxidant supplementation provides an added value to the product obtained being either milk or meat. This paper reviews the beneficial aspects that provide antioxidant supplementation on quality of both products and that fit into the new concept that the consumer has a functional and healthy food. Our approach is from a veterinary standpoint, by reviewing the studies conducted to date and the new perspectives that are interesting and need to be studied in the following years. One of the highlights is that sustainable farming, one in which production is combined with animal health, also impacts positively on the quality of the final products, with beneficial antioxidant properties to human health.

SummaryObjectives. Causes may be found in most cases of acute pancreatitis, however no etiology is found by clinical, biological and imaging investigations in 30% of these cases. Our objective was to evaluate results from endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) for diagnosis of gallbladder microlithiasis in patients with unexplained (idiopathic) acute pancreatitis. MethOds. Thirty-six consecutive non-alcoholic patients with diagnoses of acute pancreatitis were studied over a five-year period. None of them showed signs of gallstones on transabdominal ultrasound or tomography. We performed EUS within one week of diagnosing acute pancreatitis. Diagnosis of gallbladder microlithiasis on EUS was based upon findings of hyperechoic signals of 0.5-3.0 mm, with or without acoustic shadowing. All patients (36 cases) underwent cholecystectomy, in accordance with indication from the attending physician or based upon EUS diagnosis. Results. Twenty-seven patients (75%) had microlithiasis confirmed by histology and nine did not (25%). EUS findings were positive in twenty-five. Two patients had acute cholecystitis diagnosed at EUS that was confirmed by surgical and histological findings. In two patients, EUS showed cholesterolosis and pathological analysis disclosed stones not detected by EUS. EUS diagnosed microlithiasis in four cases not confirmed by surgical treatment. In our study, sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values to identify gallbladder microlithiasis (with 95% confidence interval) were 92.6% (74.2-98.7%), 55.6% (22.7-84.7%), 86.2% (67.4-95.5%) and 71.4% (30.3-94.9%), respectively. Overall EUS accuracy was 83.2%. cOnclusiOns. EUS is a very reliable procedure to diagnose gallbladder microlithiasis and should be used for the management of patients with unexplained acute pancreatitis. This procedure should be part of advanced endoscopic evaluation.

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Organic farming is believed by many to be an environmentally friendly production system that promotes the use of local forage while strongly limiting the input of chemicals, including allopathic treatments. As organic dairy farming has grown, farmers have realised that many available conventional breeds of cow are not well adapted to the new situations and that more ‘robust’ cows, able to function well in the constraining organic environment, are needed to yield acceptable longevity and productivity. In this review paper, the current breed diversity in organic dairy farming is analysed with the aim of identifying the types of cow that would best fulfil organic breeding goals. Unlike the conventional sector, organic dairy farming is very heterogeneous and no single type of cow can adapt well to all scenarios. There are advantages and disadvantages to the use of existing breeds (rustic Holstein-Friesian, other rustic breeds and crosses), and strong genotype × environment interactions demand different strategies for very diverse situations. Organic dairy farms producing milk for systems that recompense milk volume would benefit from using higher milk yielding cows, and rustic Holstein-Friesian cows may be the best option in such cases. Although most Holstein-Friesian cows are currently selected for use in conventional systems, this situation could be reversed by the implementation of an organic merit index that includes organic breeding goals. Farms producing milk either for systems that recompense milk solids or for transformation into dairy products would benefit from using breeds other than Holstein-Friesian or their crosses. Organic farmers who focus on rural tourism, farm schools or other businesses in which marketing strategies must be taken into account could benefit from using local breeds (when possible) or other rustic breeds that are highly valued by consumers.