The Effect of vitamin E on lipid peroxidation and some antioxidants in blood and milk of cows with subclinical mastitis

This study was carried out to determine the effects of vitamin E on lipid peroxidation and some antioxidant substances in subclinical mastitic dairy cows. Forty cows were assigned to two groups by California Mastitis Test (CMT) and somatic eel count (SCC). 2.000 IU vitamin E was injected to cows of treatment group by intramuscular route every other day for twenty days. SCC in milk samples of control group, pre-treatment and post-treatment was 169.60, 1.054.40, 700.80 (ml/milk), respectively. Vitamin E concentration of milk samples of control group and treatment group before and after treatment was 2.34, 2.04 and 2.15 (mmol/L) and Se levels were 0.051, 0.045, 0.048 (ug/ml) and MDA levels were 0.50, 0.66, 0.58 (mmol/ml), respectively. Plasma vitamin E, Se and MDA levels were 5.79, 4.09, 5.11 (mmol/L), 0.099, 0.077, 0.081 (ug/ml) and 0.61, 0.75, 0.68 (nmol/ml), respectively. Leucocyte GSH-Px and MDA levels with the same ordering of groups were 34.55, 22.02, 26.40 (IU/g protein) and 111.67, 115.82, 113.47 (nmol/mg protein), respectively. GSH, GSH-Px and Catalase levels in erytrocytes in control, before and after treatment groups were 1.59, 1.35, 1.42 (umol/ml), 71.30, 54.90, 59.12 (IU/g protein) and 52.19, 48.06, 50.32 (kU/g protein), respectively. Differences in milk SCC, vitamin E and MDA, plasma vitamin E, Se and MDA; leucocyte GSH-Px; erytrocyte GSH, GSH-Px and catalase levels between control and pre-treatment groups were significant changed while differences in milk Se and leucocyte MDA levels were not significant. In treatment group, differences between pre- and post-treatment in milk SCC and MDA, plasma vitamin E and MDA; leucocyte GSH-Px; erythrocyte GSH and GSH-Px levels were found as significant stastistically whereas differences in milk vitamin E and Se levels; plasma Se; leucocyte MDA and erythrocyte catalase activities were not stastistically significant. The results of the study indicate that vitamin E administration had a significant role in prevention of lipid peroxidation and positively influenced the activity of some antioxidants in subclinical mastitis cows.