The negative energy balance occurring in the periparturient period of cows will impede their health and postpartum performance. To target this issue, L-tryptophan was supplied to the prepartum cows. The results showed that L-tryptophan supplementation significantly increased the serum melatonin level and was accompanied with increases in SOD activity, IL-10 and colostrum IgA levels as well as decreases in MDA and IL-6 levels compared to the control cows. The incidence of postpartum diseases was significantly lower and the pregnancy rate was significantly higher in cows fed L-tryptophan than in the control group. A striking observation was that prepartum L-tryptophan supplementation not only improved the milk production but also the quality compared to the control cows. In general, supplementation with L-tryptophan in the prepartum period can improve the postpartum reproduction and lactation performance of cows to some extent.
Keywords: L-tryptophan; antioxidant; melatonin; postpartum pregnancy rate; prepartum.