The Efficacy of Bovine Pituitary Extract for Treating Ovarian Hypofunction Cases in Bali Cattle

Ovarian hypofunction is marked by the absence of a follicle or corpus luteum, which leads to a smooth ovarian surface during rectal examination. Furthermore, cattle affected by this disease experience an extended period of anestrus, where they do not display signs of estrus. This condition can be treated by administering gonadotropin hormones. One reliable source of these hormones is the bovine pituitary, which contains follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Therefore, this study aims to demonstrate the efficacy of bovine pituitary extract as a source of FSH in enhancing follicle development and inducing estrus response in cattle with ovarian hypofunction. The study was conducted experimentally using a completely randomized design with two groups: a control group and a treatment group. In the control group, cattle were injected with a placebo (Physiological NaCl) of 1.5mL intramuscularly in two repetitions. Meanwhile, 1.5mL of bovine pituitary extract was injected into cattle intramuscularly in the treatment group. FSH levels were measured at the Integrated Biomedical Laboratory, Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University. The administration of treatment and observation of estrus occurrence in Bali cattle were conducted in the Livestock and Breeding Center, Sobangan Village, Mengwi Sub-district, Badung Regency, Indonesia. The results showed that the FSH level in bovine pituitary tissue extract was 189.34 mIU/mL, while the diameter of the ovarian follicle increased from 5.13±0.4mm to 10.86±0.29mm. The time of estrus occurrence was 4.56±0.81 days after the administration of the extract. We concluded that administering 0.5g of pituitary extract could increase follicle development and induce estrus in cows with ovarian hypofunction. Key words: Bovine Pituitary Extract, Ovarian Follicle Diameter, Estrus Occurrence Time, FSH Level