Intrauterine Administration of Royal Jelly for Bovine Subclinical Endometritis

Subclinical Endometritis (SCE) is frequently encountered in farm animals. Studies that have focused on treatment with natural products rather than antibiotics have the potential to provide a solution to antibiotic-resistant and permanent problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of intrauterine royal jelly in the treatment of bovine SCE. A total of 60 cows diagnosed with SCE on days 21–25 postpartum were separated into 3 groups; Group 1 (n = 20) were given intrauterine royal jelly, Group 2 (n = 20) were given a placebo, and Group 3 (n = 20) as the control group received no treatment. The same procedures were performed on 60 cows without SCE, as Groups 4, 5, and 6. On days 40–44, polymorphoneuclear neutrophil (PMN) values were recorded together with the cervix uteri diameter, the pregnancy rate of first insemination, and the number of inseminations per pregnancy. The lowest PMN percentage measured on days 40–44 in the cows with and without SCE was determined in the groups administered royal jelly, and the difference compared to the control groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). These data constituted evidence that intrauterine royal jelly could be successful in the treatment of bovine SCE. In addition, a significant decrease in the cervix uteri diameter, which is a marker of involution, was the only significant result in the SCE group given royal jelly and constitutes evidence that royal jelly could have a positive effect on involution when SCE is present. In the SCE cows administered royal jelly, theere was determined to be an increase in the pregnancy rate on first artificial insemination and a decrease in the number of artificial inseminations required for pregnancy compared to the control group, suggesting that the administration of royal jelly in SCE was reflected positively in the fertility parameters.