Efficacy of Reliable Milk and Blood Biomarkers for Diagnosing Clinical and Subclinical Bovine Mastitis

Mastitis diagnosis is of increasing importance and required appropriate detection methods since it is the most economically costly disease in dairy animals. The present study was conducted for detecting subclinical and clinical bovine mastitis using eclectic biochemical parameters of milk and serum including; aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg) and Phosphorus (P). A total of 111 milk and blood samples were collected from 111 Holstein Friesian cows in the mid-lactation period, from different reigns in Basrah city, Iraq. Therefore, the investigated cows were including 62 subclinical mastitic cows with positive to California mastitis test (CMT) and no signs of clinical mastitis, 27 clinical mastitic cows that showing various manifestations concerning milk and udder, and 22 control negative cows. Somatic cell count (SCC) and pH of milk were higher in subclinical and clinical mastitic cows than the control. Serum and milk levels of Ca, Mg, and P were significantly (p< 0.05) low in subclinical and clinical mastitic cows contrast to control. In addition, serum and milk levels of AST, ALP, and LDH were significantly high (p<0.05) in subclinical and clinical mastitis compared to control. The findings of the present study indicate that the alteration in the levels of AST, ALP, LDH Ca, Mg, and P in serum and milk may serve as useful biomarkers of subclinical and clinical mastitis.