The influence of dietary Ascophyllum nodosum on haematologic parameters of dairy cows

Figures & data

Table 1 Composition of concentrate feed.

Ingredients	%
Soybean meal	30
Maize	20
Carob pods	18
Wheat bran	17
Sunflower meal	10.6
Zeolite	2
Salt	1
Calcium phosphate	0.4
Calcium carbonate	0.8
Vitamin and trace mineral premix°	0.2

° Supplying per kg concentrate feed: 13,000 U vitamin A, 2500 U vitamin D₃, 15 mg vitamin E, 1 mg vitamin B₁, 0.56 mg vitamin B₂, 0.5 mg vitamin B₆, 0.01 mg vitamin B₁₂, 12.5 mg vitamin niacin, 1.9 mg pantothenic acid, 0.15 mg folic acid, 100 mg Zn, 50 mg Fe, 100 mg Mg, 50 mg Mn, 6 mg Cu, 0.6 mg Co, 3 mg I, 0.3 mg Se.

Table 2 Milk production, milk protein and milk fat of cows receiving either 0 g A. nodosum per cow per day (Group A) or 80 g A. nodosum per cow per day (Group B).

Weeks	Milk production,		Milk protein,		Milk fat,
	L/day		%		%
	A	B	A	B	A	B
1	39.5±5.9	39.4±6.9	3.2±0.2	3.2±0.2	3.8±0.1	3.8±0.2
2	40.0±5.8	39.8±6.2	3.2±0.2	3.2±0.2	3.8±0.1	3.8±0.2
3	40.1±5.1	40.1±6.2	3.3±0.2	3.3±0.2	3.9±0.1	3.8±0.2
4	39.9±5.3	40.4±5.8	3.2±0.2	3.2±0.2	3.8±0.1	3.9±0.2
5	40.1±5.7	40.6±5.4	3.2±0.2	3.2±0.2	3.8±0.1	3.8±0.2
6	39.1±5.8	40.4±5.3	3.2±0.2	3.2±0.2	3.8±0.1	3.9±0.2
7	38.9±5.4	40.8±5.3	3.2±0.2	3.3±0.2	3.9±0.2	3.9±0.2
Average	39.6±5.6	40.2±5.9	3.2±0.2	3.2±0.2	3.8±0.1	3.8±0.2

Values are presented as mean±SD. No significant differences were found between the two groups (P>0.05).

Figure 1 Blood glucose concentration (mg/dL) of cows receiving either 0 g A. nodosum per cow every day or 80 g A. nodosum per cow per day (mean±SD). Groups differ significantly in weeks: 2^nd (P<0.05), 4^th (P<0.01), 5^th (P<0.001), 6^th (P<0.001) and 7^th (P<0.001).

Figure 2 Blood sorbitol dehydrogenase concentrations (mU/mL) of cows receiving either 0 g A. nodosum per cow every day or 80 g A. nodosum per cow per day (mean±SD). Groups differ significantly in weeks: 3^rd (P<0.01), 4^th (P<0.01), 5^th (P<0.01), 6^th (P<0.001) and 7^th (P<0.001).

Table 3 Blood Hb, PCV, TEC and TLC of cows receiving either 0 g A. nodosum per cow per day (Group A) or 80 g A. nodosum per cow per day (Group B).

Weeks	Hb, mg/dL		PCV, %		TEC, 10^6/mm^3		TLC, 10^3/mm^3
	A	B	A	B	A	B	A	B
1	8.9±0.6	8.7±0.4	26.2±1.6	25.1±1.1	5.6±0.8	5.5±0.6	7.1±1.1	7.5±0.9
2	9.0±0.7	8.6±0.3	26.0±1.9	25.2±1.2	5.6±0.7	5.5±0.6	7.1±1.0	7.5±0.9
3	8.9±0.6	8.6±0.5	24.9±1.7	24.9±1.2	5.3±0.7	5.5±0.6	7.2±1.0	7.5±0.8
4	9.0±0.8	8.7±0.5	26.1±2.1	25.4±1.3	5.6±0.7	5.6±0.7	7.1±1.1	7.4±0.7
5	9.1±0.8	8.5±0.5	26.0±1.4	25.6±1.2	5.8±0.7	5.7±0.7	6.7±1.1	7.4±0.7
6	8.8±0.7	8.7±0.5	27.0±1.4	25.4±1.5	5.5±0.7	5.7±0.5	6.6±0.9	7.1±1.3
7	8.8±0.5	8.7±0.8	24.4±1.1	26.5±1.2	5.7±0.6	5.7±0.7	6.5±1.3	7.2±1.5

Hb, haemoglobin; PCV, packed cell volume; TEC, erythrocyte count; TLC, total leukocyte count; values are presented as mean±SD; no significant differences were found between the two groups (P>0.05).