Design of a sensory device for the characterization of the volatile organic compounds fingerprint in the breath of dairy cattle

Early diagnosis of subclinical ketosis is fundamental in the production management of dairy cattle. Without evident clinical signs, this pathological condition causes important economic losses for the farmer and significant health repercussions for the cattle that could develop an altered immune function. Laboratory techniques, although accurate, are expensive, invasive, and cannot be used for real-time monitoring of the entire herd. On the contrary, the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contained in the breath of dairy cattle affected by ketosis could represent a key biomarker of the ketogenic process. For this reason, we developed a sensory device, tested in the laboratory, to detect acetone concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 ppm (concentrations typically detected in the cow’s breath), and we look to verify the electronic nose’s potential as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for ketosis. Experimental results show the high sensitivity of the instrument in differentiating acetone solutions. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed a clear separation of samples in the score plot, while classification using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) achieved accuracy rates above 70% and 85%, respectively. These findings suggest the potential application of the electronic nose as a non-invasive diagnostic tool in veterinary diagnostic studies. In particular, its ability to detect and discriminate low acetone concentrations could help the farmer to improve the overall management of the herd, optimising monitoring strategies and ketosis diagnosis before the appearance of the clinical signs of the disease.