A multicomponent herbal extract to treat subclinical ketosis of dairy cows

Summary

A multicomponent herbal extract was investigated in a field study in early lactating cows to treat subclinical ketosis in 16 Swiss dairy herds. Effects of the orally administered herbal extract (HE), containing Camellia sinensis, Cichorium intybus, Gentiana lutea, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Taraxacum officinale, Trigonella foenum-graecum and Zingiber officinale, were compared to placebo and a positive control (sodium propionate (SP)). A total of 123 cows received one of the blinded preparations twice a day for five days. Three successive cases of the same ketosis severity within the same farm were distributed randomly to one of the three treatments. Cows were followed up for 14 days, starting at the 1st treatment. Milking time and treatment showed a significant interaction for milk acetone as ketosis indicator: SP led to an immediate decrease, whereas HE resulted in a delayed decrease, starting on day 7, reaching significantly lower milk acetone values on day 14 (3.17 mg/L, p=0.003) compared to placebo (4.89 mg/L). SP and placebo did not differ on day 14 (SP: 3.57, p=0.10). In conclusion, HE and SP are both likely to improve subclinical ketosis in dairy cows, however, probably by different modes of action [1].