Prepartum Supplementation of Ginseng to Improve the Reproductive Performance of Dairy Cows

Abstract

Dairy cattle play a crucial role in global milk production, providing a wide range of nutritious dairy products. Increased dairy farms’ productivity is accompanied by decreased reproductive performance. Several decades ago, medicinal plants were used extensively to address reproductive disorders. Ginseng contains various bioactive ingredients making it widely used for veterinary purposes. The
present study intended to investigate the effect of fresh ginseng supplementation on the reproductive performance of dairy cows during their drying period. This study included pregnant dry cows (n=79) that were divided into a control group (32 cows) and a ginseng-treated group (47 cows) that received 20 gm of ginseng for 30 days. After parturition, these groups were subdivided into cows with normal birth groups and others with retained fetal membranes (RFM). Blood proteins, nitric oxide (NO), haptoglobin (Hp), reduced glutathione (GSH), estradiol (E2), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe) were measured. The results revealed that milk yield increased in ginseng-treated groups. Parity was significantly low (P<0.5) in ginseng-supplemented cows. Control cows with RFM required more (P<0.5) services for conception than all other groups. Moreover, serum total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), globulin (Glb), albumin/globulin ratio (A/G ratio), NO, and copper showed nonsignificant differences between all groups. GSH and Hp declined (P<0.5) in ginseng-treated cows with RFM compared to other groups. E2 levels decreased in control cows with RFM (P<0.5) than those with normal birth. Serum calcium level declined (P<0.5) in control cows with normal birth than in other experimental groups. Iron concentration decreased (P<0.5) in ginseng-supplemented cows with normal birth than in other groups. Inversely, ginseng significantly (P<0.5) increased serum zinc concentration in cows with normal birth and RFM groups. We concluded that ginseng supplementation improved the reproductive performance, acute phase response, and health status of dairy cows during the drying period.