Biochemical changes in saliva of cows with inflammation: A pilot study

Abstract Saliva contains a variety of compounds that can change in local and systemic pathologies including inflammation. Although, changes in acute phase proteins and markers of oxidative stress in saliva during inflammation in humans and different animal species have been described, no data exist about possible biomarker changes during inflammation in saliva of cows. The aim of the present study was to evaluate changes in selected salivary biomarkers of stress, inflammation and oxidative stress in cows with inflammation. For this purpose, bovine mastitis was used as a model. Saliva and serum from 18 clinically healthy cows and 18 cows with clinical mastitis were used in the study. A panel of analytes integrated by alpha-amylase, cortisol, haptoglobin, cholinesterase, total antioxidant capacity, lactate, and uric acid was measured in all samples and differences between the two groups of animals were evaluated. Significant increases in cortisol, alpha-amylase, uric acid, lactate and significant decreases in cholinesterase were detected in saliva of cows with mastitis. These results indicate that that cows with mastitis show changes in salivary biomarkers that reflect presence of stress, inflammation and oxidative stress in the animals.