Effects of Melatonin on Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) of Holstein Cow with High SCS

Abstract

Mastitis is a common disease in cows breeding. The milk quality will be significantly reduced with increased milk somatic cells, which often occurs in cows with mastitis. In this study, the influence of seasonal changes, age and lactation stages in the Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) of cows was investigated. Then, the Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) of cows with high somatic cell score (SCS) after melatonin treatment was systemically investigated. The results showed that melatonin significantly suppressed the milk somatic cell score under all of the tested conditions. The melatonin treatment also improved the milk nutritional value by reducing its fat but increasing its lactose and protein contents. The application of melatonin significantly improved the DHI. The beneficial effects of melatonin on DHI are likely attributed to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of melatonin.

Administration of melatonin prior to modified synchronization protocol improves the productive and reproductive efficiency of Chinese crossbred buffaloes in low breeding season

“…In the current study, milk protein decreased after 5 days of melatonin treatment, but others milk parameters like lactose and total solids remained unaffected. Contrary to the current study, melatonin has increased lactose and protein levels ( 60 , 61 ). Similarly, milk protein and casein increased in a previous study with reduced lactose ( 58 ).…”

“…In the current study, milk somatic cell count was reduced following different subcutaneous melatonin injections after 10 days of administration. Similar observations were documented in normal Holstein cows ( 27 ), dairy goats ( 67 ), and mastitis-affected cows ( 60 , 61 ). The increased SCC due to environmental stress (heat and cold) can be controlled by improving immunity through melatonin administration ( 26 ).…”

“…Similar results were reported by Cosso et al ( 60 ) that melatonin does not affect milk volume in sheep. The data indicated that melatonin does not affect milk fat, whereas recent reports claimed it reduced milk fat after melatonin treatment ( 61 , 62 ). In contrast, the increased milk fat in cows was reported by Auldist et al ( 59 ) that improvement might be linked to the modulatory effect of melatonin on milk fat content by suppressing milk fat synthesis through inhibition of the mTOR signaling pathway via the MT1 receptor in BMEC ( 63 ).…”

Genome-wide analysis for the melatonin trait associated genes and SNPs in dairy goat (Capra hircus) as the molecular breeding markers

“…In addition, more and more modern technologies of molecular biology have been used to increase the dairy goat breeding and improve the milk quality as well as the yield. In the previous study, we have found that melatonin supplementation significantly reduces the milk somatic cell number and increases the milk protein and fat contents in cows ( Wu et al, 2021 ). This observation makes us to think whether the enhanced endogenous melatonin production also has the similar result.…”

Melatonin biosynthesis pathways in nature and its production in engineered microorganisms

“…The level of melatonin in plants affects their response to biotic and abiotic stress [ 5 ]. In animals, melatonin can regulate sleep and body temperature [ 6 ] and improve dairy production [ 7 ]. In humans, it was demonstrated to protect lymphocytes against DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation [ 8 ], regulate the circadian rhythm [ 9 ], protect the skin [ 10 ], and ameliorate diabetes [ 11 ].…”