Seasonal investigation of serum magnesium concentration in native cattle at Western Azerbaijan Province, Iran

Abstract

Ruminants are very sensitive to serum magnesium concentration, because haven’t sufficient reserve of this macro element in the body. The scientific reports showed that serum magnesium concentration can be different by season and breed of cattle. Many of studies in this area were done on pure breeds and little information was available for native populations of cattle. This study was conducted to investigation of serum magnesium concentration in Iranian native cattle in different seasons. In this study, the blood samples collected from 400 head native cattle (in Western Azerbaijan province) in different seasons were analyzed for serum magnesium concentration by colorimetric method. Results showed 1.24, 1.27, 1.53 and 1.47 mg/dl Mg levels for spring, summer, autumn and winter respectively, in total. Highest and lowest Mg concentration was observed in males at autumn by 1.59 mg/dl and females at spring by 1.24 mg/dl Mg, respectively. Totally, the Mg level was higher in males in compared with females. Almost, Observed serum Mg levels of native cattle were in standard ranges that reported in previous studies. In the spring and summer, the main feed for cattle is green forage, especially grasses. It is suggested that, Because of rainy climate of region in this seasons, soil hasn’t sufficient Mg reserve for grasses, and animals that grazed on pasture with low Mg concentration couldn’t received sufficient Mg. in other hand, in these seasons high milk yield of cattle can excrete significant concentration of Mg via milk production. In conclusion, the serum magnesium concentration of Iranian native cattle at western Azerbaijan province in different seasons is not significantly lower than reported optimum ranges. It seems that, the observed insignificant decline of
Mg concentration in spring and summer hasn’t risk of any diseases caused by hypomagnesaemia.