A multicomponent herbal extract to treat subclinical ketosis of dairy cows

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 1^st 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].

The study was funded by SaluVet GmbH. The funding institution was neither involved in data collection nor in data analysis. Two of the authors are staff of SaluVet GmbH.

• References

• 1 Durrer M, Mevissen M, Holinger M, Hamburger M, Graf-Schiller S, Mayer P, Potterat O, Bruckmaier R, Walkenhorst M. 2020 Effects of a Multicomponent Herbal Extract on the Course of Subclinical Ketosis in Dairy Cows – a Blinded Placebo-controlled Field-study. PlantaMedica 2020; 86 (18) 1375-1388 DOI: 10.1055/a-1260-3148.

Publication History

Article published online:
13 December 2021