​Comparative Studies on Therapeutic Efficacy Intrauterine Turmeric Extract and Ceftiofur Sodium Alone and in Combination with Micronutrients Supplementation in Postpartum Metritic Crossbred Cows

Postpartum metritis is one of the most important disorders in cows causing high economic losses due to prolonged open days and inter-calving intervals, resulting in involuntary culling of animal. Postpartum metritis is clinically characterized by incomplete or delayed uterine involution, enlarged uterus on rectal palpation with exhibiting varying amount of purulent mucopurulent discharge through vulva, reduced appetite and milk yield (Bhaumik et al., 1992 and Cairoli et al., 1993). It is more common in early postpartum period as uterus is exposed to high risk of infection (Walia et al., 2010). To reduce these high economic losses effective ameliorative measures are needed.
       
Presently, treatment of such infertility is mainly achieved using intrauterine antibiotics, antiseptics and less commonly by hormones. The inconsistent results, high cost of treatment, compulsory milk disposal and inhibition of natural uterine defense, emergence of resistant bacterial strains, after antibiotic/antiseptic treatment made it unethical and uneconomical (Hussain and Daniel, 1992, Sarkar et al., 2016). Now a day, the major problem faced by the world is the multiple drug resistance pathogens (MDR) because of the indiscriminate use of commercial antimicrobial drugs. Plants used for traditional medicine contain a wide range of bioactive molecules, making them rich sources of different types of medicine particularly antimicrobial properties (Sarkar et al., 2016, Nair et al., 2005). Antimicrobials of plant origin have enormous therapeutic potential (Cunha, 2001)  They are effective in the treatment of infectious diseases while simultaneously minimizing many of the side effects that are often associated with synthetic antimicrobials or antibiotics. There are many published reports on the effectiveness of traditional plants against Gram positive and Gram negative microorganisms and as a result, plants are still recognized as the basis for modern medicine to treat infectious diseases (Evans, 2002).
       
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) exhibit immunomodulatory, antiinflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and antioxidant properties to resolve the problem without facing antibiotic resistance and milk disposal problem (Ghazanfari et al., 2002, Subapriya and Nagini, 2005). Similarly, Minerals and vitamins have direct or indirect relationship with productive and reproductive health of animals. Deficiencies and imbalance of minerals during peri-parturient period are either solely incriminated for or associated with anestrous (Patil and Deshpande, 1979; Agarwal et al., 1985; Singh and Vadnere, 1987), repeat breeding (Prajapati et al., 2005), metabolic disorders, retention of foetal membranes (Gupta et al., 2005), dystocia, abortion (Sharma et al., 2005), weak calf syndrome (Logan et al., 1990), milk fever, vulval discharge (Husband, 2006) and poor conception rate (Khasatiya et al., 2005, Abdullah et al., 2017). Thus have negative impact on the subsequent fertility of the cow. Keeping all those useful effects of turmeric and micronutrients in mind, the current study is designed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of intrauterine turmeric extract and ceftiofur sodium alone and in combination with micronutrients supplementation in postpartum metritic crossbred cows.

The study was carried out on clinical cases brought to the Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex of College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Mhow and in villages in and around Mhow.
 
Experimental design
 
The postpartum metritic dairy cows (n=24) were randomly selected on the basis of calving history, gynaeco-clinical findings such as presence of abnormal uterine discharge and other associated findings and were allocated equally into four groups.
Group I: Cows in this group (n=6) were administered intrauterine Curcuma longa extract having concentration @ 20 mg/ml dissolved in saline to make 30 ml, at 24 hrs interval for 3 days.
Group II: Cows in this group (n=6) were administered intramuscular ceftiofur sodium @ 2.50 mg/kg B.W. at 24 hrs interval for 3 days.
Group III: Cows in this group cows (n=6) were administered intrauterine Curcuma longa extract having concentration @ 20 mg/ml dissolved in saline to make 30 ml, at 24 hrs interval for 3 days + 25 gm micronutrients orally for 20 days.
Group IV: Cows in this group (n=6) were administered intramuscular ceftiofur sodium @ 2.50 mg/kg B.W. at 24  hrs interval for 3 days + 25 gm micronutrients orally for 20 days.
       
Artificial insemination was performed at the next estrus in all animals.
           
Therapeutic efficacy
 
· The efficacy was judged on the basis of time taken for.                                                          
· Cessation of uterine discharge.
· Resumption of cyclicity.
· First service conception.

Cessation of uterine discharge
 
The mean time interval required for the clearance of uterine discharge from the commencement of treatment was lowest in group IV (8.16±0.47 days) and highest in group I (10.16±0.47 days) where as in group II and III the intervals were 8.66±0.49 and 8.50±0.42 days, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that the time required for the clearance of uterine discharge was significantly different between all the groups (Table 1).
 

       
The observations indicated that the mean time interval required for cessation of uterine discharge were significantly (p<0.05) different between groups after treatment. These findings are in agreement with Jain (2006) who recorded clearance of uterine discharge in 8.83±1.10 and 9.83±0.79 days in control and post partum metritic antibiotic along with PGF2α treated buffaloes respectively.
 
Resumption of cyclicity
 
Among all the animals treated for metritis irrespective of any therapeutic regimen the first postpartum oestrus was exhibited within 100 days from calving. The mean time interval required for resumption of cyclicity was highest (98.66±4.12) in group II days followed by group I (87.50±1.47) days, group III (73.50±2.04) days and group IV (66.16±1.66) days, respectively.
       
Statistical analysis revealed that the time interval required after treatment for resumption of cyclicity was significantly different between groups (Table 2). It was observed that the time interval required after treatment for resumption of cyclicity was significantly higher (p<0.05) in group 2 followed by group 1 and found non significant difference in group 3 and group 4.
 

       
These findings are in agreement with Jeremejeva (2015) who observed the number of days to first service as 83.6±7.9 days in clinical endometritic cows treated with ceftiofur. These findings are also in agreement with Jain (2006) who observed first postpartum oestrus at 89±165.88 days in group I (PGF2α) + (antibiotic) and higher result than the present study as 108.50±2.36 days in postpartum metritic buffaloes treated with antibiotic (Group II), respectively.
 
First service conception
 
All the treatment group cows which come in heat allowed for natural service or inseminated with frozen thawed semen at 12 hours interval from the onset of oestrus. All the inseminated or natural serviced cows were examined per rectally after 60 days for confirmation of pregnancy.
       
Conception rate observed in the present study are presented in Table 3. The conception rates from responded cows were higher 66.66% in III and IV followed by 50.00 percent in groups, I and II respectively.
 
 
       
In the present study, the conception rate of group I was 50%. These findings are in agreement with Kumar et al., (2018) who recorded 50% conception rate in repeat breeder endometritic crossbred cows treated with intrauterine turmeric extract.
       
The present findings in group II are slightly lower than the finding of Jeremejeva (2015) who observed 64% first service conception rate in cows suffered with clinical endometritis, treated with ceftiofur. The present findings in group III are slightly higher than the finding of Kumar et al., (2018) who observed 62.5% conception rate in repeat breeder endometritic crossbred cows treated with intrauterine hydro-alcoholic turmeric.

To dean of the college, head of the department, major advisor and entire staff of the establishments that were part of this work, for their unconditional support and and collaboration.