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Effect of colostral
b
-carotene and vitamin A on vitamin and
health status of newborn calves
1
*
S. Kume , T. Toharmat
Department of Animal Production, Hokkaido National Agricultural Experiment Station, Sapporo 062-8555, Japan Received 17 January 2000; received in revised form 30 May 2000; accepted 30 May 2000
Abstract
The present study was conducted to clarify the relationship between colostral and plasma vitamin A andb-carotene, and to evaluate the effect of vitamin status on diarrhea and anemia of 46 Holstein newborn calves at 6 days of age. Colostral
b-carotene and vitamin A concentrations at parturition ranged from 17.8 to 342.9 and from 32.9 to 450.0mg / dl, respectively. Plasmab-carotene and vitamin A of calves increased at 6 days of age. Colostralb-carotene at parturition was positively correlated with plasmab-carotene of calves at 6 days of age, but there was no significant correlation between colostral and plasma vitamin A. Fecal DM concentration of calves decreased at 6 days of age, and fecal DM of calves at birth and 6 days of age ranged from 21.2 to 44.2 and from 11.7 to 40.6%, respectively. Plasma b-carotene and plasma vitamin A were positively correlated with fecal DM, but no correlations were observed between plasma vitamins and erythropoiesis components. These results suggest thatb-carotene status of calves at 6 days of age is dependent on colostrum concentrations of b-carotene and affects the occurrence of diarrhea, and vitamin A status depends on colostral vitamin A and placental vitamin A transfer during gestation. 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: b-carotene; Vitamin A; Calves; Colostrum
1. Introduction tion of an adequate amount of high quality colostrum on acquisition of passive immunity is widely recog-Mortality and morbidity of newborn calves con- nized (Quigley and Drewry, 1998). However, the tinue to be major problems on dairy farms, and their disease resistance acquired from colostrum Ig is only most common disease is diarrhea. Successful calf temporary, and the newborn calves must become health depends on many factors related to manage- immunocompetent before passive maternal immunity ment and nutrition, and the importance of consump- wanes (Rajala and Castren, 1995). Scours of calves are common at 5 days to 3 weeks of age and then the incidence declines (Nocek et al., 1984; Quigley et al., 1995; Quigley and Drewry, 1998). Additionally, *Corresponding author. Tel.: 181-11-857-9236; fax:1
81-11-the anemia in newborn calves and calf mortality at 859-2178.
birth is more common for multiple calves than for E-mail address: [email protected] (S. Kume).
1
Present address: Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia. single calves, for calves born from primiparous cows 0301-6226 / 01 / $ – see front matter 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
than for calves born from multiparous cows, and for daily from its dam’s colostrum for 1 week post-male calves than for fepost-male calves (Kume and partum.
Tanabe, 1993a, 1994, 1996).
Colostrum is a source of immune components and 2.2. Sampling and analytical method nutrients for the neonates and contains greater
con-centrations of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals than Blood samples from calves were collected at birth does milk. Because some vitamins do not cross the and at 08:30 h on day 6 of age. At birth, blood placental barrier, colostrum is the primary source of samples were taken within 12 h after birth. Blood these nutrients for the calf after birth (Kume and was sampled via jugular vein puncture into heparin-Tanabe, 1993b; Quigley and Drewry, 1998). Vitamin ized vacuum tubes. Fecal grab samples of calves A andb-carotene provide a protective effect against were taken from the rectum within 12 h after birth various diseases and enhance many facets of the and at 6 days of age. Rectal temperature of the immune system (Chew, 1987). Lotthammer (1979) calves was measured by a clinical thermometer at reported that calves of carotene-deficient cows had a birth and at 08:30 h on day 6 of age. Colostrum higher incidence of diarrhea and mortality in the first samples from 40 dams were collected at parturition. week of life. Chronic deprivation of vitamin A Blood hematocrit (Hct) and hemoglobin (Hb), results in an anemia with some accompanying Fe plasma Fe and colostrum composition were deter-deficiency (Mejia et al., 1979). Although colostral mined as previously described (Kume and Tanabe, vitamin A and b-carotene varied with a number of 1993a,b). Fecal samples were dried, ground in a factors (Foley and Otterby, 1978; Kume and Tanabe, stainless steel mill, and analyzed as previously 1993b), the effect of colostral vitamin A and b- described (Kume et al., 1998) after digestion in nitric carotene on health status of newborn calves has not and perchloric acid. Vitamin A and b-carotene of
been well clarified. plasma and colostrum were determined by the
meth-The present study was conducted to clarify the od of Chew et al. (1982). However, only 25 plasma relationship between colostral and plasma vitamin A samples, which were obtained immediately after andb-carotene, and to evaluate the effect of vitamin birth, were used for vitamin analyses at birth because status on diarrhea and anemia of newborn calves at 6 of the evaluation of no vitamin transfer from
colos-days of age. trum.
2.3. Statistical analyses 2. Materials and methods
The general linear models procedure of SAS
2.1. Calf (1988) was used to analyze the effect of age on fecal
and plasma composition of calves. Relationships Data from 26 Holstein female and 20 male calves between colostral and plasmab-carotene and vitamin were collected at the National Institute of Animal A were determined by regression analysis with Industry (Tsukuba, Japan) from March 1995 to averaged data of plasma in twins. Relationships December 1996. Calves consisted of five pairs of between plasma and other components in feces and twins and 36 single calves. The birth weight of plasma were determined by regression analysis. calves was 41.566.7 kg (mean6S.D.). The dams Significance was declared at P,0.05.
were given 3–4 kg / day of concentrate and appro-priate amounts of silage and hay from Italian
rye-grass in individual tie stalls to meet recommenda- 3. Results and discussion tions (Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Research
Council Secretariat, 1994) for TDN, protein and 3.1. Relationship between colostral and plasma minerals. Calves were separated from the dams at vitamin concentrations
birth and housed in individual pens. Each calf
Table 1 ly correlated (r50.48; P,0.05) with plasma vita-Least squares means and S.D. of fecal and blood samples of 46 min A at 6 days of age.
calves at birth and 6 days of age
Colostrum concentrations of b-carotene and vita-Age (days) Age min A varied with a number of factors including 0 6 effect individuality, breed, parity, prepartum diet,
occur-] ] rence of mastitis etc., and colostral b-carotene and
X S.D. X S.D.
vitamin A decreased drastically with time postpartum Rectal temperature,8C 38.7 0.8 39.3 0.5 ***
a (Foley and Otterby, 1978; Kume and Tanabe,
Feces
1993b). Parrish et al. (1953) reported that apparent DM, g / 100 g 35.3 4.7 24.1 6.3 ***
CP, g / 100 g 43.4 9.3 62.5 13.9 *** vitamin A absorption of newborn calves was 81 to Fe, mg / kg 14 14 296 175 *** 95% during 1 week postpartum, whereas apparent
Blood absorption of carotenoids was only 38 to 65%.
Hct, % 39.3 7.0 31.5 6.0 ***
Although the wide range of colostrum b-carotene Hb, g / dl 11.6 2.2 9.8 2.0 ***
and vitamin A in the present study may be affected Plasma
b
Vitamin A,mg / dl 5.9 3.0 17.2 5.2 *** by some factors, colostral b-carotene directly affect-b
b-carotene,mg / dl 0.9 1.2 18.5 9.7 *** ed plasma b-carotene of calves at 6 days of age. Fe, mg / l 1.61 0.62 0.87 0.84 *** The rapid increase of plasma vitamin A and b -a
DM basis. carotene in the present study agreed with the
previ-b
At birth, 25 samples were analyzed. ous data (Kume and Tanabe, 1993b), which showed ***
P,0.001.
that serum vitamin A and b-carotene of calves increased dramatically as the time postpartum in-creased. Colostrum is the main source ofb-carotene 342.9 (169685) and from 32.9 to 450.0 (122677) and vitamin A for newborn calves after birth, as
mg / dl, respectively. Plasma b-carotene and vitamin shown by the rapid increase of these vitamins in calf A increased (P,0.001) at 6 days of age (Table 1). plasma, but vitamin status of calves depends not only Colostral b-carotene at parturition was positively on vitamin intake from colostrum but also on correlated (r50.57; P,0.001) with plasma b- placental vitamin transfer from the dams during late carotene of calves at 6 days of age, but there was no gestation (Kume and Tanabe, 1993b). Because plas-significant correlation between colostral and plasma ma b-carotene of calves at birth was extremely low, vitamin A (Fig. 1). The relationship between plasma colostrum b-carotene was a primary source for
b-carotene of calves at birth and 6 days of age was calves. However, compared to b-carotene, placental not clear owing to the low concentrations at birth, vitamin A transfer was important for newborn but plasma vitamin A of calves at birth was positive- calves. These results suggest that b-carotene status
Fig. 1. Relationships between colostral and plasmab-carotene and vitamin A of calves at 6 days of age. Regression equation and S.E. of 2
of calves at 6 days of age is dependent on colostrum of Ig in the calf intestine ceases (Quigley et al., concentrations of b-carotene, but vitamin A status 1995).
depends on colostral vitamin A and placental vitamin In the present experiment, the diarrhetic calves A transfer during gestation. had lower plasma b-carotene and vitamin A, but plasma b-carotene was more linearly related to the 3.2. Plasma vitamin and health status of calves occurrence of diarrhea. Lotthammer (1979) reported that calves offered low colostral b-carotene and Fecal DM of calves decreased (P,0.001) at 6 vitamin A showed a higher incidence of diarrhea and days of age (Table 1), and fecal DM content of mortality in the first week of life. Thus, the low calves at birth and 6 days of age ranged from 21.2 to plasma b-carotene of calves at 6 days of age, which 44.2 and from 11.7 to 40.6%, respectively. is dependent on colostrum concentrations of b -Rectal temperatures and fecal CP of calves in- carotene, may affect the occurrence of diarrhea in the creased (P,0.001) at 6 days of age. Plasma b- present study, although vitamin A is important for carotene (r50.45; P,0.01) and plasma vitamin A the prevention of diarrhea.
(r50.29; P,0.05) were positively correlated with High quality roughage or supplemental vitamin for fecal DM (Fig. 2), although no correlations were the dams during late gestation may be useful for observed between plasma vitamins and rectal tem- newborn calves, because dietary levels ofb-carotene
perature. and vitamin A for the dams affected not only
Severe diarrhetic feces of calves contained more colostral vitamin concentrations but also vitamin than 85% moisture, and feces that contained less status of newborn calves (Lotthammer, 1979; Kaki-than 80% moisture appeared normal (Abe et al., mura et al., 1991). However, colostral and plasma 1999). In the present study, diarrhetic calves were b-carotene and vitamin A concentrations varied detected at 6 days of age, but calves at birth had drastically in the present study, although colostrum normal range of fecal DM. Colostrum provides not was given to the calves for 1 week. Supplemental only vital Ig but also significant amounts of immune vitamins are necessary for calves offered low colostr-proteins and nutrients that support the calf during the alb-carotene and vitamin A to maintain their health first few days of life, and the transfer of passive status immediately after birth.
immunity reduces the incidence and severity of Blood Hct, Hb and plasma Fe of calves decreased scours (Quigley and Drewry, 1998; Quigley et al., (P,0.001) at 6 days of age, but fecal Fe increased 1995). However, the incidence of scours and ele- (P,0.001) (Table 1). There were no significant vated body temperature of calves commonly occur correlations between plasma vitamins and the during the first 1 to 3 weeks of life after absorption erythropoiesis components such as blood Hct, Hb,
Fig. 2. Relationships between plasmab-carotene or vitamin A and fecal DM of calves at 6 days of age. Regression equations and S.E. of 2
fecal DM (Y ) on plasmab-carotene (Xb) or vitamin A (Xa) were as follows: Y50.29(60.09)**Xb118.7(61.8)*** (r 50.21; **P,0.01, 2
Eicher, S.D., Morrill, J.L., Blecha, F., Chitko-Mcknown, C.G., plasma Fe and fecal Fe. Kume and Tanabe (1996)
Anderson, N.V., Higgins, J.J. et al., 1994. Leukocyte functions reported that Fe-deficiency anemia often developed
of young dairy calves fed milk replacers supplemented with in calves at birth and normal development of erythro- vitamins A and E. J. Dairy Sci. 77, 1399–1407.
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