To evaluate the effect of a hiperlipidemic diet on the reproductive performance, lipidic metabolites and serum progesterone levels, 42 Holstein-Zebu crossbred cows were submitted to two treatments: T1 (n=21), control diet, and T2 (n=21), hyperlipidemic diet, consisting mainly on whole soybean. The mean intervals to the first and second postpartum ovulations were 26.3 and 35.9 days for animals of T1 and 21.7 and 37.4 days for those of T2. The average intervals from calving to onset of the luteal activity, first estrus and first normal estrus cycle length were respectively, 29.9, 39.5, and 53.9 days for T1 and 25.7, 33.3, and 52.3 days for T2. The average first estrus cycle was 14.7 and 16.9 days and of the second 19.8 and 19.5 days for T1 and T2, respectively. The concentrations of serum progesterone in the normal estrus cycles during the period of 90 days postpartum, varied from minimum values of 0.27 ng/mL (T1) to 0.31 ng/mL (T2) on the days 1 and 0 (day 0 = ovulation) to maximum values of 6.71 ng/mL (T1) on days 10 and 11 and 7.04 ng/mL (T2) on days -9 and --8, returning to basal levels (<1 ng/mL) on days -3 e -2. The total cholesterol and HDL average concentrations for T1 e T2 were 100.74 and 67.3 mg/dL (T1) and 162.25 and 95.8 mg/dL (T2) respectively. The hypercholesterolemic effect of the diet was confirmed, but without any increase in the concentration of progesterone and reproductive performance.
cholesterol; hyperlipidemic diet; HDL; progesterone; postpartum cows
