Increase in plasma total antioxidant capacity of grazingJapanese Black heifers and cows in forestland in Japan

摘要

Blood total antioxidant capacity (TAC) has become a key bio-marker for animal health. Forest-grazing cattle are known toforage various native plants that have high TAC. This study evaluated differences of plasma TAC between forest-grazing(FG) and pasture-grazing cattle (PG). Experiment 1 monitored the plasma TAC levels of 32 Japanese Black cattle. The levelin PG did not change throughout the grazing period. However, that in FG, which increased from summer, was significantlyhigher than that in PG through fall (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, we used nine Japanese Black heifers and investigated theirblood antioxidant parameters and the TAC in plants that the cattle consumed in late June and September. The plasma TAClevels in FG were significantly higher than those in PG in both periods (P < 0.05). Plasma levels of lipid peroxidation in FGtended to be lower than that in PG (P = 0.098). Furthermore, the TAC levels in various species of shrubs and treesconsumed by FG were higher than those in pasture grasses. Results of this study show that plasma TAC of grazing JapaneseBlack cattle in forestland increase from summer through fall.