80 Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 88 (9): 1064–1069, September 2018/Article https://doi.org/10.56093/ijans.v88i9.83556 Metabolism and immune status during transition period influences the lactation performance in Zebu (Bos indicus ( ( ) cows PRATIK RAMESH WANKHADE 1 , AYYASAMY MANIMARAN 2 , ARUMUGAM KUMARESAN 3 , SAKTHIVEL JEYAKUMAR 4 , KEREKOPPA P RAMESHA 5 , VEERASAMY SEJIAN 6 , DURAISAMY RAJENDRAN 7 , MADIAJAGAN BAGATH 8 and MUNIANDY SIV ARAM 9 Southern Regional Station, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Adugodi, Bengaluru Karnataka 560 030 India Received: 8 May 2018; Accepted: 8 June 2018 ABSTRACT We evaluated the changes in the concentration of innate immune molecules (haptoglobin: Hp, serum amyloid A: SAA, IL-6, TNF-D, IL-1E, and IL-8), energy indicators [NEFA, dry matter intake (DMI) and body condition scoring (BCS)] during the transition period in dual-purpose Zebu (Deoni breed) cows in relation to milk yield. Blood collection was done at weekly intervals (–21±2, –14±1, –7±1, d pre-partum, day 0 (date of calving) and 3±1, 7±1, 14±1, 21±2 d postpartum period) for estimation of above plasma variables using commercially available bovine specific ELISA kits. We also recorded DMI and BCS during the corresponding period. Transition cows were classified based on their milk yield during the study period as high (6), medium (6) and low (6) yielding cows and data were analyzed by using Mixed-model repeated measure analysis. High yielding (HY) cows had significantly higher concentrations of SAA, TNF-D, and IL-6 during pre-partum and early postpartum period than low yielding (LY) cows. DMI was significantly higher in HY cows than MY (3 rd and 7 th d) or LY cows (21 st d) while, BCS was significantly higher in HY than LY cows during pre-partum period (-7 th d). LY cows had significantly higher concentration of NEFA during the postpartum period (14 th and 21 st d). It is concluded that the active functioning of the immune system and more dry matter intake in transition Deoni cows enabled to synthesise more milk during the postpartum period. Key words: Acute phase proteins, Deoni cows, Energy indicators, Inflammatory cytokines, Milk yield, Transition period Present address: 1 Research Scholar (pratikwr@gmail.com), 2 Scientist (maranpharma@gmail.com), 3,4 Principal Scientist (ogkumaresan@gmail.com, jeyakumarsakthivel@gmail.com), Livestock Research Centre (LRC); 5 Principal Scientist and Head ( kpra g b @g mail.com), 9 Senior Scientist ( sivaram.ndri @gmail.com). 6 Senior Scientist (drsejian@gmail.com), Division of Animal Physiology; 7 Principal Scientist (rajnutri@gmail.com), 8 Scientist (bbagath@gmail,com), Division of Animal Nutrition, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Bengaluru, Karnataka. The transition phase from non-lactating, pregnant stage to non-pregnant, lactating stage (3 weeks before to 3 weeks after calving), is the most challenging and critical period to ensure health, productive and reproductive performance of dairy animals. The importance of transition period is mostly due to the occurrence of physiological, nutritional, behavioural, metabolic, and immunological changes during this period (Sundrum 2015). Among the various challenges, metabolic and immunological changes play a key role in lactation performance of animals and these changes start several weeks before calving and have effects on health and production for weeks to months later (Leblanc 2010, Kerhli 2015). On the other hand, cows must adapt these metabolic and inflammatory changes during the transition period to ensure its potential milk production in the ensuing lactation. In fact, occurrences of clinical and subclinical metabolic disorders were mostly due to cow’s inability to c ope with metabolic demand or disturbances in the metabolic process. Occurrences of metabolic or infectious disease in 30–50% of dairy cows around calving period s ubstantiate the importance of understanding about metabolic inflammation (LeBlanc 2013). Immune suppression during transition period has been linked with negative energy balance (NEB) in high yielding cows which in turn cause increased transition cow disorders (Wathes et al. 2009, Sordillo and Raphael 2013). Aitken et al. (2011) reported that the delicate balance between a sufficient inflammatory response for optimal pathogen clearance and the prompt return to immune homeostasis is required during transition period. Farney et al. (2013) suggested that inflammation, in some cases, is an adaptive rather than pathological phenomenon and some degree of i nflammation might even be required for successful metabolic adaptation. On the other hand, reduced milk productivity is a consequence of reduced feed intake and metabolic adaptations (Majkic et al. 2017). Banos et al.