ABSTRACT
Evaluation of serum vitamin E status and its correlation with erythrocyte osmotic fragility in sheep. Observational study. Sheep. Blood samples were collected from 223 clinically healthy sheep from different ages of Gezel and Makoei breeds. The animals were assigned into 3 age groups: less than 1 year, 1 to 2 years and >2 years old. Serum vitamin E concentrations were determined using HPLC method. Osmotic fragility test [OFT] was carried out by preparing hypotonic saline solution. Mean corpuscular fragility [MCF] was assessed by OFT. Data was analyzed by SPSS, using one-way analysis of variance [Duncan's test]. Regression correlation analysis was used to estimate an appropriate equation. Mean and standard deviation of serum vitamin E in sheep less than 1 year, between 1-2 years and >2 years old were 20.78 +/- 1.46, 23.31 +/- 0.82 and 23.31 +/- 0.82 microg/ml and for MCF were 0.52 +/- 0.018, 0.47 +/- 0.018 and 0.49+/- 0.014 g/dl, respectively. Comparison of the means among three groups showed significant differences [P<0.001] for both vitamin E and MCF values. Regression correlation analysis showed that rising the age of the animals increased vitamin E Levels [r=0.64, P<0.001] and decreased MCF values [r=-0.70, P<0.001]. There was a negative correlation between vitamin E and MCF values [r=-0.91, P<0.001]. According to this finding, estimated regression equation for vitamin could be as Y= -48.24X + 46.20 [r2= 0.83, P<0.001]; Y = Vit.E [microg/ml], X = MCF [g/dl]. According to the results of this study, it can be concluded that OFT [MCF] is a cheap and easy method for evaluation of vitamin E status in sheep
ABSTRACT
Monthly variation of magnesium [Mg] concentration in milk serum was investigated in industrial and semi-industrial dairy herds of Urmia, northeastern Iran, in 2002-3. Total number of 1, 112 milk samples from 96 herds including 615 samples from 53 industrial herds and 497 samples from 43 semi-industrial dairy herds were examined. 10-ml milk samples were collected monthly up to 12 months from each herd in the milk factory. Milk fat was separated by centrifugation. Milk serum was then separated after casein was precipitated by 0.1 N HC1. Spectrophotometery was used to measure the milk Mg concentration, using Mg kit [Ziest Chimi, Iran]. The overall mean +/- SD of Mg concentration in milk serum in industrial and semi-industrial herds was 5.47 +/- 1.15 and 5.35 +/- 1.21 mmol/l, respectively. The differences in Mg concentration between breeding systems were significant [P<0.05]. The highest monthly mean Mg concentration in industrial and semi-industrial dairy herds was 6.39 and 6.05 and the lowest mean was 4.29 and 4.02 mmol/l, respectively. The lowest monthly mean Mg concentration in industrial and semi-industrial dairy milk herds was observed in August; the highest in November. The concentration decreased from March to August and then increased gradually up to November. The mean Mg concentration in milk serum within industrial, semi-industrial herds and between two breeds had a significant [P<0.001] monthly variation-mainly in August and November [P<0.05]. The lowest and highest mean seasonal milk Mg concentration in industrial [4.61, 5.83 mmol/l] and semi-industrial herds [4.53, 5.72 mmol/l] were observed in summer and winter. The mean Mg concentration in milk serum had a significant [P<0.05] seasonal variation-between summer and other seasons. Thus, it could be concluded that milk Mg concentration in industrial herds was higher than semi-industrial dairy herds. The lowest milk Mg concentration was observed in August that could be important to supplement magnesium in food of dairy herds in Urmia