Journal
JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
Volume 58, Issue 1, Pages 10-16Publisher
SOCIETY REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT-SRD
DOI: 10.1262/jrd.11-139N
Keywords
beta-Carotene; Dairy cow; First follicular wave postpartum; First ovulation; Metabolic hormone
Funding
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
- Japan Livestock Technology Association
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During recent decades, milk production per cow has increased drastically due to improved management, nutrition, and genetic selection; however, the reproductive performance of high-producing dairy cows has been declining. One of the factors responsible for this low reproductive performance is negative energy balance (NEB). NEB affects the onset of first ovulation in early postpartum cows. It is generally accepted that early first ovulation positively relates to the resumption of normal ovarian function, first service, and conception rate in dairy cows. Hence, delayed first ovulation has a negative impact on subsequent fertility. The metabolic condition of cows in NEB shifts to catabolic metabolism, which in turn causes increased plasma growth hormone and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations and decreased plasma insulin-like growth factor-1, insulin, and glucose concentrations. On the other hand, plasma beta-carotene concentrations decrease throughout the dry period and reach their nadir in about the first week postpartum, and this change reflects energy balance during the peripartum period. beta-Carotene plays a role independently of vitamin A in the reproductive performance of dairy cows, and the positive relationship between supplemental beta-carotene and reproductive function has been demonstrated in many studies during the past decades. However, beta-carotene content in corn silage, which is a popular main feed in high-producing dairy cows, is very low. This review describes nutritional factors related to ovulation during the first follicular wave postpartum in dairy cows.
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