Plasma Ascorbate Concentrations Are Not Correlated With Milk Somatic Cell Count and Metabolic Profile in Lactating And Dry Cows

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of stage and the number of lactation on plasma ascorbate concentration and to establish the association between plasma ascorbate concentrations and plasma glucose, insulin, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), milk somatic cell count (SCC), milk yield, and body condition score (BCS) in dairy cows. Holstein cows (n = 193) from three different herds were used in this study. Animals were randomly selected, and assigned to five groups according to stage of lactation (group 1, dry cows; group 2, 1 to 28 d; group 3, 29 to 56 d; group 4, 57 to 140 d; group 5, 141 to 280 d), and the number of lactation (primiparous or multiparous). Plasma ascorbate concentration, plasma glucose concentration, serum insulin concentration, plasma NEFA concentration, plasma BHBA concentration, serum AST concentration, milk SCC, milk yield, and BCS were measured. The results of this study demonstrate that plasma ascorbate concentrations do not change in response to stage of lactation, or number of lactations. Among the several variables studied, none was found that, singly or in combinations, could explain variations in ascorbic acid concentrations.

Plasma Vitamin C Concentration is Not Related to the Incidence of Ketosis in Dairy Cows during the Early Lactation Period

“…Thus ketosis is frequently observed in dairy cows during the early lactation period. The stage of lactation did not affect plasma β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentration and the level of BHBA did not differ between dry cows and lactating cows in the report of Santos et al [14]. Therefore, their cows were not considered to have a marked imbalance between glucose supply and glucose requirement in the early lactation period, which might result in stable AsA level in plasma.…”

“…Thus, lactating cows were considered to have a decreased synthesis of AsA resulting from the shortage of glucose, especially in the early lactation period [10]. On the other hand, Santos et al [14] reported that plasma vitamin C concentration was not affected by the stage of lactation and they suggested that endogenous AsA production met vitamin C requirement for lactating cows.…”

L-Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) supplementation to optimize health and reproduction in cattle

“…However, in another study, intravenous administration of vitamin C in cows that received an intramammary challenge of endotoxin had limited positive effects on clinical signs (Chaiyotwittayakun et al 2002). Santos et al (2001) reported that plasma vitamin C concentrations in dairy cows do not correlate with somatic cell counts in milk.…”

“…Padilla et al (2005) observed that even ketotic cows have the ability to produce sufficient vitamin C and concluded that vitamin C synthesis is possibly given a high-metabolic priority. Santos et al (2001) also reported that high milk production in cattle is not associated with decrease in the plasma Vitamin C level.…”

“…Normal vitamin C concentration in the blood of cattle and other ruminant species as reported by different authors is given in Table 1. Blood vitamin C level does not change in response to lactation or the number of lactations (Santos et al 2001). However, certain other factors such as season in bulls (Kolb et al 1991), stage of oestrus cycle and pregnancy in cows (Ataman et al 2010), and the type of housing system in calves (Cummins and Brunner 1991) may have significant influence.…”