Sijunzi San Alleviates the Negative Energy Balance in Postpartum Dairy Cows by Regulating Rumen Fermentation Capacity

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At a large-scale intensive dairy farm in Ningxia, China, 16 robust postpartum Holstein cows, each weighing 600±30 kg with body condition scores ranging from 3.0 to 3.5 and having 2 to 3 lactations, were randomly assigned to either a control group (CONT) or a Sijunzi San group (SJZS), with equal representation in each group. Both groups were fed the same total mixed ration (TMR) and had ad libitum access to water. The dosage of 300 g per day was determined based on the medication guidelines recommended by the Chinese Veterinary Pharmacopoeia. In the SJZS group, cows were administered 300 g of Sijunzi San mixed with 5 L of water via a gastric tube before their morning feeding, for a period of 7 days. In contrast, cows in the CONT group received an equivalent volume of plain drinking water. In contrast, the cows in the control group were provided with an equivalent volume of plain drinking water. Prior to morning feeding on the eighth day, blood samples were collected from the tail vein of each cow. Plasma was then prepared through centrifugation at 3,000 rpm for 20 minutes at 4℃ and stored at -80℃ for subsequent analysis of biochemical indices and the blood metabolome.

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