Vitamins supplementation affecting colostrum composition in murrah buffaloes

Vitamins A and E are unable to get synthesized by animal's body and due to unavailability of sufficient green fodder in the ration, supplementation is required. Buffaloes are the major milk producer dairy animal in India and hence a study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of supplementing vitamin A and E on the colostrum composition of peri-parturient Murrah buffaloes.

Twenty-two multiparous Murrah buffaloes during their advance stage of pregnancy (−30 day) were selected and divided into three groups i. e. control (C, n=8), treatment 1 (T1, n=7) and treatment 2 (T2, n=7) based on the most probable producing ability of milk, parity and body weights. Buffaloes were fed either control diet (C) or supplemented with vitamin A and E @ 75,000 IU and 1,500 IU/day, respectively, in group T1 and @ 1,50,000 IU and 3,000 IU/day, respectively in group T2. Colostrum samples were collected from one day after parturition up to day 5^th after calving and analysed for fat, protein, lactose, solid-not-fat and total solids.

Supplementation of vitamin A and E at a higher level (T2) was helpful to increase (P<0.05) colostrum protein levels for first three days and total solids percentage for first two days as compared to control, while colostrum lactose and solid not fat % were high (P<0.05) in T1 groups as compared to control at day third only. The fat percentage had a reducing tendency (P<0.05) in control and T1 group and total solids in the T1 group only with the advancement of the post-parturient period. Based on the findings of the study, it may be concluded that vitamins A and E supplementation had a positive influence on the colostrum composition of peri-parturient Murrah buffaloes.