Effect of Herbal Galactogogue (Sanjivani biokseera) on Milk Yield and Milk Constituents in Lactating Kankrej Cattle at Organised Farm

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding herbal galactogogue preparation (Sanjivani biokseera) on the milk yield and milk constituents in lactating Kankrej cows. Thirty-two lactating Kankrej cows in their 1st to 6th lactation were taken for the experiment from 3 days after calving up to 52 days postpartum. All the animals were fed as per the standard seasonally available roughages and concentrates to meet their nutritional requirements. The cows were randomly divided into two uniform groups of 16 cows in each according to initial milk yield and milk composition. The animals in group-I were not given any supplement and served as control. The animals in group-II were given Sanjivani biokseera (Naturewell Industries) @ 60 g per day for 1-month, commencing 3 days after calving, in addition to the usual feeds/fodders. A clear difference was observed in milk yield from day 8 onward of experiment between groups with significant (plessthan0 0.05) higher values from day 16-52 in cows fed herbal galactogogue as compared to control, but no such distinct effect on milk constituents was observed on day 52 when analyzed. The use of herbal galactogogue significantly (p lessthan 0.05) increased the overall average of 52 days milk production, which was 9.34 ± 0.21 lit/day in supplemented as compared to 7.75 ± 0.26 lit/day in control animals. It was concluded that herbal galactogogue (Sanjivani biokseera) could increase milk yield in lactating dairy cows through its galactopoetic property and improved rumen environment.

Feed additives in the diet of high-producing dairy cows

“…According to Mohanty et al [2014], herbs with galactagogue properties include goat's rue, nettle, caraway, and common hops. Many studies [Grabowicz et al 2004, Prayitno et al 2016, Panchasara et al 2019 indicate that the use of herbs in the diet of ruminants improves feed conversion and production results, beneficially modifies the bacterial microbiome of the rumen, and affects the immune system. The authors found that the administration of herb supplements to cows increased milk yield and improved the quality of the milk.…”

“…High-quality bulky and concentrate feeds are often insufficient for a balanced feed ration that meets the nutritional requirements of a high-producing cow. For this reason, feeding solutions are sought that will allow the production potential of the cow to be fully exploited while limiting the occurrence of metabolic disease and improving reproductive parameters [Čermáková et al 2012, Prayitno et al 2016, Mobeen et al 2019, Callaway et al 2019, Panchasara et al 2019]. The most problematic period in the feeding of high-producing dairy cows is the perinatal period, which determines milk production throughout lactation.…”

Effects of Supplementation with an Herbal Mixture on the Antioxidant Capacity of Milk

“…Even their low concentrations in feed mixtures have an impact on the antioxidant indices in lactating dairy cows. Animals whose diets were supplemented with herbs exhibited an increase in the activation of antioxidant enzymes in both blood and milk, which play an important role in cell protection against oxidative damage [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Many studies have demonstrated that herbs used in the diet for ruminants have a beneficial effect, as they improve the feed conversion efficiency, modify the rumen microflora, and, consequently, improve animal health and performance [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ].…”

“…Animals whose diets were supplemented with herbs exhibited an increase in the activation of antioxidant enzymes in both blood and milk, which play an important role in cell protection against oxidative damage [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Many studies have demonstrated that herbs used in the diet for ruminants have a beneficial effect, as they improve the feed conversion efficiency, modify the rumen microflora, and, consequently, improve animal health and performance [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ]. Better production results are achieved upon application of herbal blends rather than individual herbs, mainly due to the synergistic effect of their active compounds [ 34 ].…”

Improving Productivity and Health Status of Lactating Zaraibi Goats with Echinacea Purpurea or/and Chamomile Flower Supplementation

“…Employing natural medical herbal additives as feed additives for animals represents a promising alternative to antibiotics, promoting animal health and performance while addressing concerns related to antibiotic resistance and animal production sustainability. Supplementing animal diets with herbs, even at low concentrations in feed mixtures, has been shown to increase the activation of antioxidant enzymes in both blood and milk, which are essential for safeguarding cells against oxidative damage (Panchasara et al, 2019;Vizzotto et al, 2021;Kolling et al, 2022;Stobiecka et al, 2023). Alongside this, previous studies indicated that incorporating herbs into ruminant diets offers various benefits.…”