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The physiological and production effects of increased dietary intake of vitamins E and C in feedlot cattle challenged with bovine herpesvirus 1¹

P. M. V. Cusack^*,2, N. P. McMeniman and I. J. Lean

^* Australian Livestock Production Services, Cowra, NSW, Australia; and School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; and and Bovine Research Australasia, Camden, NSW, Australia

² Correspondence: 102 Darling St., Cowra, 2794, NSW, Australia (phone: +61 (2) 6341 3113; fax: +61 (2) 6342 1795; e-mail: pcusack{at}allstate.net.au).

The physiological and production effects of feeding additional vitamin E and ruminally protected vitamin C were examined in cattle challenged with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV 1). Forty-eight individually penned 6-mo-old Angus and Angus crossbred heifer calves with a mean BW of 151 kg were allocated randomly to four diets in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Pelleted diets provided either 15 or 185 IU/kg of DM of vitamin E, with or without 3.7 g of ruminally protected vitamin C/kg of DM. Blood samples were taken at start of the experiment and at wk 4, 5, and 6. At the start of wk 5, half of each of the dietary groups was challenged with BHV 1. Feeding additional vitamin E was associated with greater (P < 0.001) mean plasma -tocopherol. In contrast, feeding ruminally protected vitamin C was not associated with greater (P = 0.59) mean plasma ascorbate concentration; however, feeding ruminally protected vitamin C was associated with lower (P = 0.03) mean blood total superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD and Mn SOD) concentration. Calves fed additional vitamin E had greater (P = 0.05) mean plasma ß-carotene concentrations. There were interactions between dietary intake of vitamins E and C with respect to serum ceruloplasmin concentration (P = 0.01) and G:F (P = 0.05). Bovine herpesvirus 1 challenge was associated with lower white cell count (P = 0.007), lymphocyte count (P < 0.001), and DMI (P = 0.03). Feeding additional vitamin E to calves challenged with BHV 1 was associated with a lower (P = 0.03) serum ceruloplasmin concentration. There was a non-significant trend towards an interaction (P = 0.06) between the feeding of vitamins E and C, with virus-challenged calves fed additional vitamin E alone having greater plasma retinol concentrations. The feeding of vitamins E and/or C in calves challenged with BHV 1 was associated with alterations in the concentrations of other antioxidants. More severe disease may have translated these cellular effects to changes in health and performance.

Key Words: Alpha-Tocopherol • Antioxidants • Ascorbate • Cattle • Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis

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				G. C. Duff and M. L. Galyean BOARD-INVITED REVIEW: Recent advances in management of highly stressed, newly received feedlot cattle J Anim Sci, March 1, 2007; 85(3): 823 - 840. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]