This study was designed in order to get the reference values for the concentration of different metabolites included in a standard metabolic profile for grazing Brahman cattle (B. indicus) from Caldas, Colombia. Serum samples (5-10 mL) were taken from 21 healthy grazing Brahman cows to analyse beta-hydroxybutyrate, total protein, albumin, globulines, urea, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), calcium and magnesium. The results were analyzed by calculating range, mean and standard deviation (SD). The reference interval was set at 95% (x±2SD). The mean and SD obtained for the concentration of the different metabolites were: beta-hydroxybutyrate 0.34±0.15 mmol/L; total protein 81±9 g/L; albumin 41±3 g/L; globulines 40±10 g/L; urea 3.31±1.43 mmol/L; AST 158±34 U/L; Ca 2.50±0.21 mmol/L, and Mg 1.40±0.44 mmol/L. The increasing of beta-hydroxybutyrates and globulines, and a high activity of AST were the most frequent alterations. The serum biochemistry values for grazing B. indicus cattle are similar to the described values for B. taurus.
cattle; clinical biochemistry; metabolic profile
