Dietary supplementation of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) during the dry period improves redox balance in lactating dairy cows

Abstract

© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Thirty-six pregnant Holstein–Friesian cows were used to study the effect of Yerba Mate (YM) supplementation during the dry period on redox balance. The treatments groups were Control (no YM), YM 250 (250 g/cow/day), and YM 500 (500 g/cow/day). Blood samples were obtained 30 days prepartum, at calving, and monthly postpartum until four months post calving. Liveweight (LW) and body condition score (BCS) were assessed prepartum, at calving, and then postpartum monthly until the end of the trial. Plasma was analyzed for hydroperoxides (d-ROMs), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), and biological antioxidant potential (BAP). The oxi..