Vitamin E supplementation during the dry period in dairy cattle. Part I: Adverse effect on incidence of mastitis postpartum in a double-blind randomized field trial

Bouwstra, Ruth; Nielen, M.; Stegeman, J.A.; Dobbelaar, P.; Newbold, J.R.; Jansen, Eugène; Werven, T. van

doi:10.3168/jds.2010-3159

Cited by 54 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…If we accept the hypothesis proposed that the increase in the frequency of mastitis is related to high levels of blood a-tocopherol, then it would be reasonable to expect that blood a-tocopherol levels in cows with mastitis would have been higher than those in the healthy cows. However, the data presented by Bouwstra et al (2010) argue against this hypothesis because there were no statistically significant (P 5 0.082 to 0.866) or biologically meaningful differences in blood vitamin E levels between healthy cows and those with mastitis. It is interesting to note that when the P-value approached the level of significance (P 5 0.082), blood vitamin E levels in healthy animals were higher (16.43 mmol/l) when compared with the corresponding value in cows with mastitis (15.10 mmol/l) 4 weeks before calving, in the group that received the high level of vitamin E supplementation.…”

Section: Vitamin E and Its Effects On Animal Healthmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…In another study, daily supplementation of dairy cows with 1610 mg of RRR-a-tocopherol from week 4 before up to week 2 after calving had no effect on the risk for veterinary-treated clinical mastitis or on the levels of SCC/ml in milk when compared with the corresponding values in the unsupplemented control cows (Persson Waller et al, 2007). Bouwstra et al (2010) suggested that vitamin E supplementation throughout the dry period has adverse effects on incidence of mastitis postpartum in dairy cows. A total of 296 cows from five commercial dairy herds in the Netherlands were enrolled in this study.…”

Section: Vitamin E and Its Effects On Animal Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In an analogy to human vitamin E studies, the authors suggested that vitamin E supplementation of dairy cows at the rate of 3000 IU/cow per day might be beneficial when plasma a-tocopherol concentrations are low or marginal; however, it might be associated with increased risk of mastitis when the atocopherol status of dairy cows at the beginning of the dry period are adequate. Bouwstra et al (2010) suggested that both a high level of blood vitamin E during the dry period and a high level of vitamin E levels (.14.5 mmol/l, or 6.25 mg/ml using the factor 2.322 for conversion from mg/ml to mmol/l) at dry-off are the two risk factors for developing clinical mastitis. If we accept the hypothesis proposed that the increase in the frequency of mastitis is related to high levels of blood a-tocopherol, then it would be reasonable to expect that blood a-tocopherol levels in cows with mastitis would have been higher than those in the healthy cows.…”

Section: Vitamin E and Its Effects On Animal Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Against this concept, at least one of the five farms that participated in the experiment had fewer quarters with clinical mastitis in the group that received the high level of vitamin E supplementation. Lack of identification of the microorganism causing the intramammary infection (whether the pathogen belonged to the contagious or environmental category) makes interpretation of the results of Bouwstra et al (2010) …”

Section: Vitamin E and Its Effects On Animal Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reevaluation of vitamin E supplementation of dairy cows: bioavailability, animal health and milk quality

Politis

2012

Animal

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Although vitamin E has been known as an essential nutrient for almost 80 years, we are far from a complete understanding of all the aspects related to bioavailability and its effects on health and milk quality in dairy cows. Vitamin E is a generic descriptor for two families of lipid-soluble compounds, the tocopherols and the tocotrienols, of which a-tocopherol has the highest biological activity. Commercially available a-tocopherol supplements for dairy cows contain either the natural RRR form or the synthetic (all-rac) form, which contains all the eight possible stereoisomers (four possessing the 2R and four possessing the 2S configuration) in equimolar amounts. Recent data clearly suggest that an almost complete discrimination against the 2S isomers occurs in dairy cows. Thus, 1 g of the all-rac form is essentially equivalent to 0.5 g of the RRR form. With respect to the effect of vitamin E supplementation of dairy cows on health and milk quality, the majority of published studies suggests that vitamin E supplementation at the level 1000 to 4000 IU/cow per day during the dry period reduces both the frequency of intramammary infection and that of clinical mastitis and improves milk quality, as shown by a reduction in the levels of somatic cell count (SCC)/ml in milk, decreased plasmin activity and increased oxidative stability of milk. However, a recent study from the Netherlands suggested that vitamin E supplementation at the 3000 IU/cow per day level during the dry period when combined with high levels of plasma vitamin E at dry-off (.14.5 mmol/l) increases the incidence of mastitis. Data from previously unpublished survey studies and those from published vitamin E feeding trials, in which high levels of blood vitamin E were observed, were reanalyzed. All farms selected for the analysis implemented oral administration of vitamin E at the 3000 IU/cow per day level throughout or during the late dry period (4 weeks before the expected day of parturition). Dairy cows were divided into three groups, depending on blood a-tocopherol levels at dry-off: high (.6.25 mg/ml), medium (between 6.25 and 4.25 mg/ml) and low (,4.25 mg/ml). Data indicate that there were no differences in the incidence of mastitis and in the level of SCC/ml of milk between the three groups. Thus, supplementation of 3000 IU vitamin E/cow per day in the late dry period remains recommended because it is generally associated with decreased risk of mastitis. Conditional or opposite effects have not been repeated and require further research before changing recommendations for vitamin E supplementation.

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Section: Vitamin E and Its Effects On Animal Healthmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Vitamin E and Its Effects On Animal Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Vitamin E and Its Effects On Animal Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Vitamin E and Its Effects On Animal Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Reevaluation of vitamin E supplementation of dairy cows: bioavailability, animal health and milk quality

Politis

2012

Animal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Muscular dystrophy or degeneration (calcification) of muscle tissues and liver necrosis in rats are known deficiency symptoms associated with a low dietary Se content (JSV, 1989;Lamand, 1989). Bouwstra et al (2010) and Weiss (2012) showed that the effect of higher levels of dietary vitamin E or Se supplementation is their higher titre in dairy cows resulting in enhanced chemostatic and random migration of neutrophils and increased production of superoxides that reduce the incidence of mastitis. It is, therefore, important to provide diets with adequate amounts of Se to ensure normal physiological functions of these vital organs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%