Effect of vitamin B complex injection on blood parameters and antioxidant status in fattening calves under transportation stress

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Biotechnology Research Department, Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran

2 Department of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran

3 Department of Animal Sciences Research, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center of Gorgan, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Gorgan, Iran

4 Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

5 Department of Animal Science, Golpayegan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Golpayegan, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Most calves transported at a young age from dairy farms, making calf transport an important reputational risk for the dairy industry. Transported dairy calves may be non-replacement calves, which are transported either directly to abattoirs or fattening facilities for veal or beef production, or they may be heifer calves that are transported to rearing facilities in preparation for entering the dairy herd. Transport is a recognized stressor for all ages, with young calves being particularly vulnerable to welfare compromise during and after transport. This vulnerability is due to several factors; for example, the fasting that accompanies transport puts young calves at risk of energy depletion, hunger, and hypoglycemia (low blood glucose), particularly because calves have low body fat reserves compared with adult cattle. Additionally, young calves do not display the herding behavior that is commonly seen in adult cattle, making them more difficult to move; this difficulty potentially puts calves at risk of poor handling. In addition to this, young calves are dependent on colostral immunity for protection from infectious disease. If failure of passive transfer occurs, there is a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, failure of passive transfer is common, occurring in an estimated 8 to 42% of dairy calves. Furthermore, commingling of calves during transport, lairage, and at auction markets potentially increases exposure to pathogens and may lead to social stress, which can affect both immunity and pathogen shedding. Therefore, considering the effect of B vitamins in reducing stress, in this study, the effect of vitamin B complex injection on blood parameters and hormone levels as well as antioxidant status in fattening calves under transportation stress was investigated.
Materials and methods: For the present study, 20 fattening calves were selected. They were kept in separate boxes (1×1 m2) with a concrete floor covered with straw during the experiment. The calves were fed the same. Water was also provided freely and separately. The experimental treatments included: 1. The first group (control): without vitamin B complex injection and 2. The second group (B complex): 15 mL of vitamin B complex injection. In this study, after 4 h of vitamin B complex injection, the animals were transported at a distance of 494 km during 10 h, and blood samples were taken from the jugular vein of calves to measure blood plasma parameters. Blood plasma parameters including glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, urea, creatinine, total protein, albumin, globulin, albumin:globulin, insulin, cortisol, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate transaminase, alanine aminotransferase, triiodothyronine, thyroxine, T3:T4, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, malondialdehyde, and total antioxidant status were measured in the blood of calves.
Results and discussion: According to the results, in the B complex group, glucose concentration increased significantly after transportation compared to the control group (P<0.05); in contrast, cholesterol concentration decreased significantly after transportation and 24 hours after transportation in the B complex group compared to the control group (P<0.05). Insulin concentration after transportation and thyroxine concentration after transportation and 24 h after transportation significantly increased in the B complex group than in the control group (P<0.05). In contrast, cortisol concentration after transportation and 24 h after transportation in the B complex group compared to the control group showed a significant decrease (P<0.05). Superoxide dismutase and catalase levels showed a significant increase and malondialdehyde concentration showed a significant decrease after transportation and 24 h after transportation in the B complex group than in the control group (P<0.05). Also, the effect of time and the interaction effect of treatment and time were significant on the concentration of some blood parameters of animals (P<0.05). In this study, vitamin B complex injection led to a reduction in hunger stress during transportation of calves due to increased blood glucose levels and improved energy status. Vitamin B complex injection improved antioxidant status in fattening calves under transportation stress, followed by a reduction in blood cortisol levels and adverse effects of stress in animals.
Conclusions: According to the results of this study, vitamin B complex injection acts as a valuable supplement that can be used to improve blood parameters and antioxidant status following reduction of stress in fattening calves.

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References

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Animal Production Research
Volume 15, Issue 1
March 2026
Pages 105-114

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