Biochemical markers of ketosis in dairy cows at post-parturient period

Abstract

ABSTRACT Forty cows suffered from ketosis at post-parturient period were used in the current study together with 10 healthy cows who served as a control. Blood samples were collected from diseased and healthy animals and the harvested serum were used for determination of biochemical, the profiles of lipids and liver enzymes. The obtained results declared that serum insulin had highly significant decrease (P < 0.01) in group C (5.02 ± 0.46 µIU/ml), also there was a highly significant decrease in serum cortisol (P < 0.01) of both A and B groups (3.74 ± 0.15 and 3.98 ± 0.14 ng/ml), as compared to healthy cows (5.39 ± 0.27 ng/ml). The values of serum cholesterol, serum triglyceride and serum total lipids were significantly increased (P < 0.01) in groups A, B and C 146.54 ± 7.71, 153.22 ± 6.04 and 150.50 ± 6.02 mg/dl; 74.85 ± 0.95, 76.43 ± 1.85 and 80.05 ± 4.68 mg/dl and 271.31 ± 4.34, 281.76 ± 3.50 and 266.64 ± 4.26 mg/dl, respectively; also, the values of serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were highly significantly increased (P < 0.01) in ketotic cows of groups A, B and C (94.13 ± 1.05, 94.42 ± 1.29 and 88.30 ± 88.30 ± 3.44 IU/L, respectively, and 57.07 ± 3.97, 54.29 ± 4.40 and 64.20 ± 4.70 IU/L, respectively). There was a highly significant decrease (P < 0.01) in serum calcium of groups A, B and C (7.20 ± 0.23, 7.15 ± 0.14 and 8.95 ± 0.33 mg/dl, respectively).