“Inflammation in postpartum dairy cows and its effect on the state of health and productivity during lactation”is the thesis of Alfredo Rodríguez Molina, who is a Doctor of Agricultural and Food Sciences from the Austral University of Chile.
Communications UACh.- His research aimed to determine the effect of some factors that from prepartum and postpartum contribute to the establishment of this inflammatory state. In addition, through the use of carprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, the role of some endocrine factors involved in the regulation of the process was evaluated, as well as the net effect of inflammation on different indicators of health, animal welfare, fertility. and productivity during lactation.
In this context, he valued the training provided in the doctorate: “I am very happy and deeply grateful to have studied in the program of PhD in Agricultural Sciencesbecause through the constant support and guidance of my supervisors, I was able to satisfactorily develop each one of the objectives that I set myself during my research”, said the graduate.
Alfredo Rodríguez also highlighted “the excellent academic level of the professors who are part of the program, a matter that in my case contributed to broaden my knowledge, develop my critical thinking and broaden my research perspectives to obtain the maximum benefit from the information gathered.”
Finally, he indicated that during his doctorate he was able to attend different national and international scientific activities: “I participated with other doctoral students in an explora project (CONICYT) and did my 3-month doctoral internship at Kansas State University, where I was able to validate the techniques to determine the concentrations of adiponectin and maresin; In summary, this series of scientific activities have contributed substantially to my professional training and are a key element for my current work”.
About the investigation
The results of their research showed that, from antepartum, excess fat mobilization in cows with a recommended body condition score (3.0 on a scale of 1-5) can trigger an inflammatory and oxidative stress state that affects well-being. animal and the production of milk solids during lactation, pointed out Dr. Alfredo Rodríguez.
This research demonstrated that inflammation during the transition period is a dynamic process dependent on several mechanisms that have the potential to positively or negatively influence the health, welfare, fertility, and productivity of dairy cows.
«From this point, it was determined that the most relevant factor corresponds to an excess of fat mobilization during prepartum. For this reason, it is recommended that herd monitoring programs include the use of more objective indicators than the body condition score, such as the blood concentration of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) at the beginning of the antepartum transition period” , explained the professional who developed his research together with Dr. Hedie Bustamante Díaz, an academic from the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences of this house of studies.
These results are novel, since they lay the foundations for developing future lines of research around endogenous anti-inflammatory mechanisms and pro-resolution of diseases, which according to studies in vitrohave been shown to be favored by the concentration of omega 3 fatty acids, a type of fatty acid present in forages.
“This is extremely relevant for grazing systems, because it would allow the development of specific nutritional strategies to contribute to a much healthier adaptation process for dairy cows in transition,” stressed Dr. Rodríguez, who is currently a professor and manager of the Mayor Veterinary Hospital. in the ruminant area of the San Sebastián University, Patagonia headquarters.
