Summary
The
authors determine the efficacy of prepartum immunopotentiators administered
during late gestation on postpartum fertility, IgG levels and calf
viability. Fifty buffalo were divided into five groups (10 animals
in each group). Group I was the control group. Each animal in Group
II received 30 ml intramuscularly of viteselen (1.7 mg sodium selenium
and 150 mg vitamin E/ml). Each animal in Group III received a subcutaneous
injection of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) at 0.5 ml. In
Group IV, each animal received 12.5 ml of levamisole hydrochloride
intramuscularly, while those in Group V received 10 ml of ultra-corn
subcutaneously. The immunopotentiators were administered according
to each group 60 days prior to the anticipated date of parturition.
Postpartum fertility was assessed by close observation and rectal
examination after parturition. Colostrum from the dams and sera
from the newborn were collected to estimate the level of immunoglobulin
(IgG). Body weight, growth rate and viability of the calves were
recorded after parturition. Prepartum treatment with viteselen reduced
the period of foetal membrane expulsion by 2 h compared to the other
groups. Concomitantly, the uterine involution period was significantly
shorter in animals treated with viteselen and ultra-corn than in
the other groups. Injection of viteselen, BCG or ultra-corn significantly
reduced the calving to the first oestrus interval and length of
postpartum service period (by 57, 54, 48 days and 67, 57, 44 days,
respectively) than the levamisole group. The IgG level was significantly
higher in both the colostrum of the dam and in newborn serum after
administration of immunopotentiating agents. Furthermore, the viteselen
injection resulted in a significantly higher level of IgG in both
dam colostrum (at parturition) and calf serum in comparison to the
other groups. The calves from viteselen and ultra-corn treated dams
showed a higher growth rate and better health condition than the
controls. Prepartum administration of immunopotentiators appears
to be beneficial, promising and offer improvements to postpartum
reproductive performance and calf viability in Egyptian buffalo.
Finally, additional work involving a larger number of animals is
suggested.
Keywords
Buffalo,
Calf, Colostrum, Egypt, Immunoglobulin, Immunopotentiator, Prepartum,
Viability.
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