Premium
Effects of β‐carotene‐enriched dry carrots on β‐carotene status and colostral immunoglobulin in β‐carotene‐deficient Japanese Black cows
Author(s) -
Nishijima Yoshitaka,
Taniguchi Saya,
Ikeda Shuntaro,
Yoshitani Kenichi,
Hamano Takashi,
Tani Hiroshi,
Fujita Masahiko,
Murakami Kenji,
Kogusa Keisuke,
Sato Kenji,
Sugimoto Miki,
Kume Shinichi
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
animal science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.606
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1740-0929
pISSN - 1344-3941
DOI - 10.1111/asj.12693
Subject(s) - carotene , food science , beta carotene , chemistry , carotenoid
Data from 18 β‐carotene‐deficient Japanese Black cows were collected to clarify the effects of feeding β‐carotene‐enriched dry carrots on β‐carotene status and colostral immunoglobulin (Ig) in cows. Cows were assigned to control or carrot groups from 3 weeks before the expected calving date to parturition, and supplemental β‐carotene from dry carrots was 138 mg/day in the carrot group. Plasma β‐carotene concentrations in the control and carrot groups at parturition were 95 and 120 μg/dL, and feeding dry carrots slightly improved plasma β‐carotene at parturition. Feeding dry carrots increased colostral IgA concentrations in cows and tended to increase colostral IgG 1 , but colostral IgM, IgG 2 , β‐carotene and vitamin A were not affected by the treatment. Feeding dry carrots had no effects on plasma IgG 1 , IgA and IgM concentrations in cows, but plasma IgG 1 concentrations decreased rapidly from 3 weeks before the expected calving date to parturition. These results indicate that feeding β‐carotene‐enriched dry carrots is effective to enhance colostral IgA and IgG 1 concentrations in β‐carotene‐deficient cows.