Do Intravenous Butaphosphan and Cyanocobalamin Combination Affect Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Profile of Dairy Goats During Their Transition Period?

Background: Insulin resistance during early lactation in goats has been a topic of interest for researchers, as addressing this issue can significantly improve their metabolic health.

Objectives: To investigate the potential of butaphosphan and cyanocobalamin in controlling insulin resistance, we conducted a study with the hypothesis that this combination may mitigate insulin resistance in dairy goats.

Methods: Ten adult goats were divided equally into two groups: Ctrl and B+C. The Ctrl group received 6 mL of normal saline, while the second group was administered 6 mL of 10% butaphosphan and 0.005% cyanocobalamin on days 21, 20, 19, and 12, 11, 10, and 3, 2, 1 before parturition. On the 10th and 20th days after parturition, blood samples were gathered to analyze the levels of different metabolites and evaluate insulin resistance/sensitivity through an intravenous glucose tolerance test and surrogate indices. Body condition scores, milk production, and weight gain of the kids were also recorded during the study.

Results: Although the B+C group showed slightly higher insulin responsiveness than the Ctrl group in the intravenous glucose tolerance test, but the difference was insignificant. Comparably, no significant differences were noticed in the remaining metabolic indicators amidst the Ctrl and B+C groups.

Conclusions: The lack of substantial differences can be attributed to the limited sample size and the prescribed drug dosage. Further investigations with higher doses exceeding 6 mL are warranted to explore potential effects. Additionally, species-specific differences in ruminants might exist, and caprine metabolism of the compound might differ from that of bovine and ovine. Consequently, we recommend conducting more studies in this field.