Effect of uterine flushing with solution containing essential oil from lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus Stapf.) on immunological response in postpartum beef cows

Abstract

Bovine metritis and endometritis are reproductive diseases which have been causing signifcant economic losses in beef cattle. Most infected animals show infertility problems and are at high risk of culling as repeat breeders. The results showed that lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf) extracted by water distillation yielded 4.64 percent essential oil. This experiment was set to study the effect of lemon grass essential oil as an alternative treatment for inhibiting bovine endometritis pathogens. Eighteen cattle were randomly selected and separated into two groups. Nine cattle were given uterine flushing with 50 ml essential oil solution at 5.0 µl/ml concentration (treated group) twice at the beginning of the mating season (48 hours apart). The other nine cattle were treated with 50 ml of basal solvent (Tween 10%) (control group). Two blood samples were collected from all cattle just before the frst and second flushings. They were analyzed for hematological parameters (WBC, PMN, lymphocyte and monocyte). The results showed that the mean numbers of white blood cells (WBC), polymorphonuclear cells (PMN), lymphocytes and monocytes of control cattle at both samplings were the same (P>0.05). In treated cattle, the average numbers of WBC, lymphocytes and monocytes from both samplings did not show signifcant decline (P>0.05) after the frst flushing. However, the percentage of PMN in the treated group signifcantly decreased (P<0.01) after the frst uterine flushing. These results indicated that bovine intrauterine infusion with lemon grass essential oil solution 48 hours before sampling is effective in altering some immunological response