The Animal Biology

EFFECTS OF Α-TOCOPHEROL AND SELENIUM INJECTION ON SERUM CORTISOL IN DAIRY COWS UNDERGOING ABDOMINAL SURGERY

P. Mudroň

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The present trial was aimed to study the effects of vitamin E and selenium treatment on blood cortisol concentrations in dairy cows stressed by omentopexy.

Twenty dairy cows with left abomasal displacement were used in this study. The cows were randomly divided into two groups. Ten hours before surgery 6 g of DL-α-tocopheryl acetate (6 mg/kg) and 67 mg of sodium selenite (0.1 mg/kg) in volume of 40 ml (Vitaselen^®) were administered subcutaneously to 10 cows; the control animals (n=10) received an equivalent volume of injectable water (40 ml).

The serum vitamin E increased several times ten hours after vitamin E and Se injection and rose continuously to the highest average concentration 21.6 mg/l at hour 24 after the surgery. The highest selenium concentration was seen ten hours after selenium administration with holding the increased concentrations in comparison to initial ones during the whole study. The highest cortisol concentrations were reached at one hour after surgery in the experimental and control group (56.7±28.8 and 65.3±26.1 μg/l, respectively). The ANOVA revealed a significant effect of vitamin E and selenium injection on plasma cortisol (P<0.05).

The decrease of blood cortisol in our study may suggest that vitamin E and selenium supplementation may be an effective method to minimize stress response in dairy cows.

Keywords: SURGICAL STRESS, VITAMIN E, SELENIUM, CORTISOL

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