Index Development to Comprehensive Assess Liver Function during the Dairy Cows' Transition Period in Low-Tropic...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Dairy cows experience significant metabolic shifts during the peripartum period.
• Managing dairy cows in low-tropic conditions presents unique challenges for metabolic health.
• Monitoring liver function is crucial for identifying and mitigating metabolic disorders in transition dairy cows.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a liver tissue function index for dairy cows in low-tropic environments.
• To assess the index's ability to track metabolic changes during the transition period.
• To establish a tool for monitoring liver health in dairy cattle under tropical management.

Main Methods:

• Selected twenty crossbred and synthetic native dairy cows during the peripartum period.
• Collected blood samples at multiple time points prepartum and postpartum for serum metabolic tests.
• Evaluated body condition scores (BCS) and analyzed parameters of nitrogen metabolism (total protein, urea), adipose tissue metabolism (cholesterol, NEFA), and transaminases (ALT, AST).
• Employed statistical analyses including correlation, principal components, multiple linear regression, and cluster analysis.

Main Results:

• A liver tissue function index was successfully constructed using total protein (TP), urea, cholesterol (COL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA).
• The index effectively discriminated metabolic states across prepartum, parturition, and postpartum periods based on days after calving.
• The index also differentiated dairy cows into distinct groups based on body condition scores (BCS), categorizing them by extreme, slightly low, and slightly high conditions.

Conclusions:

• It is feasible to create mathematical function indexes for assessing liver function in dairy cows.
• The developed index provides a reliable method for monitoring metabolic changes during critical productive phases.
• This tool is valuable for dairy cows managed under tropical conditions, aiding in proactive health management.