Comparison of Metabolic Alterations in Serum and Milk Whey Between Inactive Ovaries and Estrus Dairy Cows

Inactive ovaries (IOs) affect the estrus cycle and timed artificial insemination (TAI) efficiency in dairy cows during early lactation. The objective of the experiment was to determine metabolic changes in the serum and milk whey of dairy cows with IO and estrus. Twenty-eight healthy postpartum Holstein cows in similar age, milk production, and body condition were selected at 30 days postpartum for tracking to 70 days postpartum, and estrus performance was recorded through Afi Farm® software. The ovarian status and follicular diameter of dairy cows were examined by an experienced breeder through B-ultrasound and rectal examination. Fourteen normal estrus cows were allocated to control group A and 14 cows with IO to group B, all at 30–70 days postpartum. The serum and milk whey in the two groups of cows at 70 days postpartum were used for non-targeted nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) analysis to measure the different metabolites of cows with IO. In group B compared with group A at 70 days postpartum, there was an increase in the milk whey of six different metabolites including succinate, creatine phosphate, glycine, myo-inositol, glycolate, and orotate and a decrease in the milk whey of seven metabolites, including alanine, creatinine, o-phosphorylcholine, lactose, taurine, galactose, and glucose-1-phosphate. There was an increase in the serum of group B cows of four differential metabolites, including 3-hydroxybutyrate, acetate, glutamine, and glycine and a decrease in the serum of nine differential metabolites, including alanine, succinate, citrate, creatinine, o-phosphocholine, glucose, myo-inositol, tyrosine, and histidine compared with group A. Group B cows with IO had decreased glucose metabolism and impaired tricarboxylic acid cycle, increased lipid mobilization, and abnormal amino acid metabolism. The study provides a potential prevention strategy for IO in dairy cows in future.