Vol. 9, Issue 10, Part J (2025)

The transition period in dairy cattle, spanning from three weeks prepartum to three weeks postpartum, is characterized by intense metabolic and oxidative stress, predisposing animals to postpartum diseases. This study evaluated oxidative stress biomarkers and the incidence of postpartum disorders in 30 dairy cows divided into three groups: control (n = 10), untreated oxidative stress group (n = 10), and treated group (n = 10) administered oral Vitamin E and selenium. Biomarkers assessed included NEFA, MDA, GPX, SOD, and catalase, alongside disease incidence. Results suggest that NEFA levels were significantly higher in the untreated group (mean: 0.659 mmol/L) compared to the treated (0.413 mmol/L, p≤0.05) and control groups (0.280 mmol/L, p≤0.05). MDA concentrations peaked in the untreated group (25.64±18.13 µmol/mL at 2 weeks postpartum), significantly higher than the treated (5.152±2.22 µmol/mL) and control groups (p≤0.05). GPX activity increased markedly in the treated group post-calving (38.91±12.16 IU/mg protein), significantly higher than untreated (17.86±15.93, p≤0.05) and control groups. SOD levels increased significantly in the control group (0.575±0.28 to 1.869±0.65 IU/mg protein, p≤0.05), while the treated group showed a significant decline (1.061±0.59 to 0.109±0.03, p≤0.05), indicating reduced oxidative burden. Catalase levels increased significantly in untreated animals (1.052±0.16 to 1.927±0.29, p≤0.05) but declined in the treated group (1.165±0.28 to 0.211±0.1, p≤0.05). Postpartum disease incidence was 90% in the untreated group, 30% in the treated group, and 20% in the control group. The findings demonstrate that Vitamin E and selenium supplementation significantly alleviated oxidative stress, enhancing antioxidant defence and reducing postpartum disease incidence.