New method to protect cows from effects of stress developed at UNN
Technologically induced stress in dairy cows affects their health, immunity, fertility and milk production. Most often, deterioration of animal condition is diagnosed when destabilizing effects of stress provoke pathology (or contribute to its development). To diagnose the stress state of cows at an early stage, scientists of the Institute of Biology and Biomedicine (IBBM) at Lobachevsky University have proposed using blood analysis. The method will make it possible to determine the level of tolerance to stress and to prevent the development of the disease in time, to avoid the use of drugs and, as a result, to improve the quality of dairy products.
“There are various factors that lead to cow stress: separation of calves from their mothers, transportation, hoof cleaning, the need to stay in the stall all the time, improper handling by the personnel and many others. As stress develops, it causes a higher susceptibility to inflammatory and infectious diseases. Our method can become the basis for systematic prevention of dairy cow stress in Russian cattle breeding. The method makes it possible to assess the functional state of animals, carry out the necessary therapy in time and increase the productivity of farms,” said Anna Deryugina, author of the study, Head of the UNN Department of Physiology and Anatomy.
Studying the charge of erythrocytes, the cells responsible for oxygen delivery in the body, and the quantitative composition of leukocytes in the leukocyte formula allows the assessment of the animal's overall condition. Researchers from Lobachevsky University observed changes in these indicators in animals under different stress conditions at some of the leading farms in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
“Based on the data on leukocytes and erythrocytes, we calculated a coefficient to assess the functional reserves of the cow's organism. Animals showing a low coefficient were treated with low-intensity laser radiation. Laser exposure was performed on cows’ withers from five to fifteen minutes for two weeks. As a result, the animals recovered faster from stress, cow productivity and milk quality improved,” explained Anna Deryugina.
According to the scientists, if stress is diagnosed early, veterinarians will be able to maintain the health of cattle in a timely manner using standard methods. In addition to laser radiation, biologically active substances and vitamins can be used for anti-stress therapy.
The project was implemented by researchers from the UNN Department of Physiology and Anatomy. The research results have been published in Russian and international scientific journals. The technology was patented in 2024 with the assistance of the Technology Transfer Centre of Lobachevsky University.
