Melatonin differences between day and night milk in primiparous holstein friesian and jersey dairy cattle

Abstract This study was conducted to determine the levels of melatonin in the day and night milk of Holstein and Jersey cows. In the study, samples of daytime milk produced from 27 head of Holstein and 27 head of Jersey cows in the first lactation, which were raised in a private dairy cattle enterprise in the Kaşınhanı neighborhood of Meram district of Konya city Turkey, and night milk samples taken from the same cows that were blackened for one (1) week were used. Melatonin levels in milk samples taken from day and night milk were determined separately for Holstein and Jersey cows with the help of Bovine Melatonin (MLT) Elisa Kit. In the study, it was determined that the ratio of melatonin in day and night milk in Holstein cows was 2.912 pg/ml and 11.314 pg/ml, respectively, and the ratio of melatonin in Jersey cows was 2.924 pg/ml and 6.954 pg/ml in the same order. The difference between the melatonin levels of the day and night milk of Holstein and Jersey cows was found to be statistically significant (p<0.01). At the end of the study, it can be stated that night milk can be used for medical purposes and a new production source may arise for producers since there is a significant difference in melatonin between day and night milk.