EFFECT OF PRE-PARTUM VITAMIN E AND SELENIUM TREATMENTS ON REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF BALADY COWS AND IMMUNE ACTIVITY OF THEIR OFFSPRING

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 animal health Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.

2 animal Production Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

Responses of late pregnant Balady cows to pre-partum treatment with selenium (Se) and vitamin E(Vit E) were evaluated by investigating uterine health and reproductive performance of the dams, and by determining immune responses and growth of their offspring. Twenty late- pregnant Balady cows were divided into two homogenous groups, according to their age, parity and weight. In addition to basal ration fed to group I (control), animals of group II were supplemented with oral Mit E (400 TU/ cow/ day) and injected with Se (mg / cow (Day), and then weekly until the end of the experiment . Serum samples were harvested biweekly,starting 6 weeks prepartum until 15 weeks post partum from all cows as well as from thier neonatal calves before colostrum feeding and biweekly until weaning. the serum samples were used to determine selenium in dams and their offspring and for IgG and IgM in calves. Serum selenium in cows and calves was significantly  elevated (P<0.05) by selenium supplementation compared to control. Administration of Se and vit E significantly reduced the duration of udder edema, incidence of retained placenta and metritis and facilitated the
 calving. The service period, days open, the interval from calving to uterine involution, first estrus, first ovulation, and the number of services per conception were also decreased compared to those in non-treated cows. Body weight gain of calves was favorably influenced after the pre-partum treatment of their dams with Se and vit E. Radial immunodiffusion results revealed that [gG level was significantly increased in the group treated with Se and vit E. It was concluded that pre-partum treatment of late-pregnant Balady cows with vitamin E and se-is beneficial in improving reproductive 
performance of dams and growth rate of their off-spring and to some extent, the immune response of calves.

Main Subjects