Serum biochemical profile of neonatal buffalo calves

D.C Souza,J.J Fagliari,L.C Fiori,B.M Monteiro,G.T Pereira,D.G Silva,R.B Viana,T.G Rocha

doi:10.1590/1678-4162-10176

Abstract

ABSTRACT Serum blood samples from 50 Murrah buffalo calves were examined in this study. The animals were allocated into three groups according to the number of parturitions of their mothers: G1 (n= 15) calves from primiparous buffaloes, G2 (n= 19) calves from buffaloes with two to four parturitions, and G3 (n= 16) calves from buffaloes with five or more parturitions. Blood samples were taken at birth, before colostrum ingestion, at 24h, 48h, and 72h after birth, and at 7, 14, 21, and 30 days after birth for determination of levels of gammaglutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase, total protein, albumin, globulins (including immunoglobulin G), iron, total calcium, ionized calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium. The age of the calves was found to influence all of the biochemical parameters, with the exception of ionized calcium and potassium in the calves in groups G1 and G3. The calving order was found to influence AST, GGT, total protein, albumin, and globulins, including IgG. The high serum ALP activity in the first two days after birth indicates that measurement of the levels of this enzyme may be used as an indirect method of assessing passive immunity transfer.

Highlights

The buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is an animal of great economic importance; the global buffalo population has been estimated to exceed 194 million animals (Food..., 2017)
Knowledge of normal values of serum biochemical parameters is important when evaluating injuries to organs and tissues caused by various diseases and in the determination of animal welfare
It allows for monitoring the metabolic condition, functional abnormalities of the organs, and the adaptation of the organism to nutritional and physiological changes. Factors such as species, breed, age, rearing systems, feeding, and number of parturitions influence serum biochemical values; the identification of these factors and their interactions is crucial for the correct interpretation of the blood parameters (Klinkon and Jezek, 2012)

Summary

Introduction

The buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is an animal of great economic importance; the global buffalo population has been estimated to exceed 194 million animals (Food..., 2017). One of the critical points in buffalo production is the neonatal period, wherein high mortality rates occur, reaching up to 17% in Murrah animals (Shivahre et al, 2014). Knowledge of normal values of serum biochemical parameters is important when evaluating injuries to organs and tissues caused by various diseases and in the determination of animal welfare. It allows for monitoring the metabolic condition, functional abnormalities of the organs, and the adaptation of the organism to nutritional and physiological changes. Factors such as species, breed, age, rearing systems, feeding, and number of parturitions influence serum biochemical values; the identification of these factors and their interactions is crucial for the correct interpretation of the blood parameters (Klinkon and Jezek, 2012)

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion