Evaluation of macrominerals concentrations in blood of lactating and dry Desi cows

Objective. This study was conducted during winter season at rural livestock farm of district Sargodha, Pakistan, in order to define the macrominerals status in blood plasma of lactating and dry Desi breed cows. Material and methods. Twenty lactating and twenty dry cows were used and their blood plasma was analyzed for Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu and Fe using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results. In lactating cows, the plasma Ca concentration was lower than dry cows (6.8 vs. 7.6 mg/dl, p<0.001), while Mg concentration was similar between lactating and dry cows. Plasma Zn concentration in lactating cows was higher than dry cows (0.78 vs. 0.60mg/l, p<0.01) and it resulted lower than the normal range in both groups. Plasma Cu level in lactating cows was lower than dry cows (0.56 vs. 0.76 mg/L, p<0.001) and it was lower than the normal range only in lactating cows. Lactating cows resulted in higher plasma Fe concentration compared to dry cows (3.8 versus 2.6 mg/L; p<0.01). Conclusions. From our findings, it can be concluded that the observed minerals level meets the needs of ruminants and the plasma level of different minerals is affected by the physiological stages of cows.