Efficacy of ozonized water for the management of endometritis in Jersey crossbred cows and factors influencing pregnancy

AANCHAL; PANKAJ  SOOD; AKSHAY  SHARMA; MONIKA  BHARADWAJ; RAJESH  CHAHOTA

doi:10.56093/ijans.v96i6.179023

Authors

AANCHAL DGCN College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur 176 062 India
PANKAJ SOOD Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur 176 062 India
AKSHAY SHARMA DGCN College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur 176 062 India
MONIKA BHARADWAJ DGCN College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur 176 062 India
RAJESH CHAHOTA DGCN College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur 176 062 India

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijans.v96i6.179023

Keywords:

Cows, Conception, Endometritis, Ozonized water

Abstract

Endometritis, a major reproductive disorder, adversely affects fertility and productivity in cows. Ozone has been explored as a potential non-antibiotic alternative against endometritis. This study evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of intrauterine ozonized water (O₃W) in Jersey crossbred cows suffering from endometritis and investigated factors influencing pregnancy outcome. A total of 60 consecutive spontaneous estrous cycles, (pre-treatment [C-1], treatment [C-2], and post-treatment [C-3] phases) were monitored in 20 endometritis cows. At C-1 estrus, endometritis was confirmed by the presence of ≥1% polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells in endometrial cytology. During C-2 estrus, cows received intrauterine O₃W treatment (3300µg; 55µg/mL; 60mL) for two consecutive days. At enrolment, general parameters including age, parity, milk yield, number of previous inseminations without conception, and body condition score were recorded. Comparative assessment between C-1 and C-3 included evaluation of cervical discharge, preovulatory follicle, corpus luteum, estrous cycle parameters, hormonal profile, oxidative stress status, and reproductive performance. Microbial growth was detected in 75% of cows, predominantly involving Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Following O₃W treatment, microbial burden significantly decreased, with 60% of cows exhibiting no detectable microbial growth. Improvements were observed in discharge quality, follicular size, estrus characteristics, progesterone profile, and oxidative stress markers. The first-service and overall (three inseminations in C-3) pregnancy rates were 50% and 70%, respectively. However, advanced age, a greater number of previous unsuccessful inseminations, higher PMN cell percentage, and smaller preovulatory follicle size at C-1 negatively influenced pregnancy outcomes. Overall, intrauterine O₃W was associated with reduced microbial burden and improved reproductive parameters, suggesting its potential as a non-antibiotic therapeutic option for bovine endometritis. However, further controlled studies are required to confirm its efficacy.

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