Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia (Dec 2022)

Milk production and hematological and antioxidant profiles of dairy cows supplemented with oregano and green tea extracts as feed additives

  • Giovani Jacob Kolling,
  • Sheila Cristina Bosco Stivanin,
  • Alexandre Mossate Gabbi,
  • Fernanda Samarini Machado,
  • Alexandre Lima Ferreira,
  • Mariana Magalhães Campos,
  • Thierry Ribeiro Tomich,
  • Camila Soares Cunha,
  • Caroline Peres Klein,
  • Pauline Maciel August,
  • Cristiane Matté,
  • Susane Werle Dill,
  • Luiz Gustavo Ribeiro Pereira,
  • Vivian Fischer

DOI
https://doi.org/10.37496/rbz5120210150
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 51

Abstract

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ABSTRACT We aimed to evaluate the effects of the addition of oregano (Origanum vulgare) or green tea (Camellia sinensis L.) extracts (separately and associated) on feed intake, milk production, and hematological and antioxidant profiles of dairy cows. For that purpose, 16 Holstein and 16 Holstein-Gyr cows with 526.3±10.2 kg and within the first third of lactation were distributed according to a complete block design with measurements repeated in time. Treatments were control (CON), addition of 0.056% of oregano extract (OR), addition of 0.028% of green tea extract (GT), addition of a mixture of OR and GT extract (0.056% each) in the diet (MIX). Hematological and antioxidant profiles were monitored. Data were subjected to ANOVA, with block, treatment, days, and their interactions considered as fixed effects and animal and the residue as random effects. In Holstein cows, GT increased feed intake and milk yield compared with CON; in Holstein-Gyr crossbred cows, OR showed increased intake and GT increased milk yield compared with CON. Compared with CON, GT and OR decreased eosinophils concentration; OR showed the highest neutrophils concentration and neutrophils to leukocyte ratio. Compared with CON, OR presented increased catalase (CAT) activity, while GT increased the reduced glutathione concentration. The MIX treatment reduced CAT activity compared with OR, presented the lowest concentration of oxidized dichlorofluorescein in the erythrocytes (DCFER) and plasma (DCFPLA), and increased eosinophils concentration compared with GT and OR. Extracts differently affected feed intake and milk yield depending on genetic group. Feeding green tea and oregano extracts separately or associated distinctly affects the antioxidant indicators of lactating dairy cows.

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