Livestock Science, vol.141, no.1, pp.76-79, 2011 (SCI-Expanded)
The aim of this study was to evaluate the stress response to long-term transportation and to analyze the effects of vitamin A + D + E and vitamin E + selenium administrations on oxidative stress induced by long-term transportation in Holstein dairy cows. Control group (n = 10) received 0.9% saline (placebo), Group I (n = 10) received vitamin A + D + E, and Group II (n = 10) received vitamin E + selenium. After the transport, adrenaline levels were high in all groups (P < 0.05). Noradrenaline level was low in Group I (P < 0.05) and tended to be low in Group II. Mean levels of serum cortisol decreased significantly in all groups (P < 0.05) when comparing pre-transport data with post-transport data. Glucose levels increased in Control group (P < 0.05) and in Groups I and II (P < 0.01). The malondialdehyde level significantly increased in the Control group (P < 0.05) after the transport and the levels were lower in Group I (P = 0.076) and Group II (P < 0.05) than in the Control group. As a result, vitamin E + selenium and vitamin A + D + E have been determined to prevent lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress, associated with long-term transportation stress in cattle. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.