Ketone Bodies in Milk and Blood of Dairy Cows: Relationship between Concentrations and Utilization for Detection of Subclinical Ketosis

¹ École Nationale Vété rinaire, Département Élevage & Produits, Laboratoire d'Alimentation, 23 Chemin des Capelles, 31076 Toulouse Cedex 3, France
² École Nationale Supérieure Agronomique, Laboratoire d'Ingénierie Agronomique, Avenue de l'Agrobiopôle, BP 107, Auzeville-Tolosane, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the concentrations of the different ketone bodies in milk and blood and to evaluate these concentrations for the detection of subclinical ketosis. A total of 60 multiparous cows were used. Concentrations of acetone, acetoacetate, and ß-hydroxybutyrate were analyzed quantitatively in blood and milk, and the Ketolac strip test was used for semiquantitative determination of ß-hydroxybutyrate in milk. Cows were defined subclinically ketotic when their concentration of blood ß-hydroxybutyrate was over 1200 µmol/L. High correlation coefficients were observed between blood acetone and blood acetoacetate, and between blood and milk acetone. On the contrary, concentrations of milk and blood ß-hydroxybutyrate were poorly correlated with the other concentrations of ketone bodies. The Ketolac strip test overestimated the concentrations of ß-hydroxybutyrate in milk. For the detection of subclinical ketosis, the best sensitivity-specificity combination was obtained with the determination of acetoacetate in blood or milk, with threshold concentrations of 125 and 50 µmol/L, respectively. Determination of ß-hydroxybutyrate in the milk via an enzymatic analysis or via the Ketolac strip test provided valuable results, with threshold concentrations of 70 and 100 µmol/L, respectively. The simplicity of use of the Ketolac strip test makes it a valuable way to investigate subclinical ketosis.

Key Words: subclinical ketosis • detection • ketone bodies • Ketolac

Submitted on July 28, 2000
Accepted on October 24, 2000

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