Concentrations of vitamin C in plasma and milk of dairy cattle

Abstract

Colostrum or milk samples from 6 cows and blood plasma samples from the cows and their calves were taken between 0 and 28 d after calving and analyzed for vitamin C (ascorbic acid). At birth, the blood plasma concentration of ascorbic acid in calves ranged between 6.1 and 10.8 μg/ml, and declined within 5 d to between 2.7 and 4.5 μg/ml. Correspondingly, the concentration was twice as high in colostrum (16 μg/ml) than in milk at 2 d after calving (8 μg/ml). The plasma ascorbic acid concentration was initially lower in cows than in their calves, and reached the same level approximately 28 d after calving. © 1995 Elsevier/INRA.