Effects of a Multicomponent Herbal Extract on the Course of Subclinical Ketosis in Dairy Cows – a Blinded Placebo-controlled Field-study

Manuela Durrer; Meike Mevissen; Mirjam Holinger; Matthias Hamburger; Sandra Graf-Schiller; Philipp Mayer; Olivier Potterat; Rupert Bruckmaier; Michael Walkenhorst

doi:10.1055/a-1260-3148

Planta Medica, Table of Contents

Planta Med 2020; 86(18): 1375-1388
DOI: 10.1055/a-1260-3148

Biological and Pharmacological Activity

Original Papers

Effects of a Multicomponent Herbal Extract on the Course of Subclinical Ketosis in Dairy Cows – a Blinded Placebo-controlled Field-study

Authors

Manuela Durrer

¹Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Division of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland

²Department of Livestock Science, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland
Meike Mevissen

¹Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Division of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland
Mirjam Holinger

²Department of Livestock Science, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland
Matthias Hamburger

³Pharmaceutical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Sandra Graf-Schiller

⁴SaluVet GmbH, Bad Waldsee, Germany
Philipp Mayer

⁴SaluVet GmbH, Bad Waldsee, Germany
Olivier Potterat

³Pharmaceutical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Rupert Bruckmaier

⁵Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Division of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland
Michael Walkenhorst

²Department of Livestock Science, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland

Abstract

A blinded placebo-controlled multi-center on-farm trial was conducted in dairy cows with subclinical ketosis to investigate effects of a multicomponent herbal extract. Blood ketone levels were measured weekly in early lactating cows from 16 Swiss herds. Cows were subclassified based on their initial blood-β-hydroxybutyrate levels (≥ 1.0 [KET-low, 84 cows] and > 1.2 mmol/L [KET-high, 39 cows]) and randomly distributed to 3 groups treated orally with herbal extract containing Camellia sinensis, Cichcorium intybus, Gentiana lutea, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Taraxacum officinale, Trigonella foenum-graecum, and Zingiber officinale, sodium propionate, or placebo twice a day for 5 days. Milk yield, milk acetone, blood-β-hydroxybutyrate, glucose, nonesterified fatty acids, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and glutamate dehydrogenase were analyzed over 2 wk. Linear mixed effect models were used for data analysis. No effects were found for nonesterifed fatty acids, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and glucose. Significantly higher glutamate dehydrogenase (29.71 U/L) values were found in herbal extract-treated animals compared to sodium propionate on day 7 (22.33 U/L). By trend, higher blood-β-hydroxybutyrate levels (1.36 mmol/L) were found in the placebo group of KET-high-cows on day 14 compared to the sodium propionate group (0.91 mmol/L). Milk yields of all treatment groups increased. Milking time and treatment showed a significant interaction for milk acetone: sodium propionate led to an immediate decrease, whereas herbal extracts resulted in a milk acetone decrease from day 7 on, reaching significantly lower milk acetone on day 14 (3.17 mg/L) when compared to placebo (4.89 mg/L). In conclusion, herbal extracts and sodium propionate are both likely to improve subclinical ketosis in dairy cows, however, by different modes of action.

Key words

subclinical ketosis - herbal extract - sodium propionate - dairy cow

Full Text

References

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