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Effects of Organic Acid and Bacterial Direct-Feed Microbial on Fattening Performance of Kivircik-Male Yearling Lambs

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Abstract

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of addition of organic acid (OA), (SAL CURB?) and/or direct-feed microbial (DFM), (Cylactin? LBC ME 10) to the rations of Kivircik male-yearling lambs on body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion, some blood metabolites, and the levels of serum minerals. A group of sixty 1-year old male lambs of Kivircik Breed were used. The animals were divided in to 4 groups of 15 lambs each. The groups were assigned as control, organic acid, direct-feed microbial, and direct-feed microbial plus organic acid. A commercial direct-feed microbial product and organic acid mix were used as feed treatment supplements. The average daily gain means of the lambs supplemented with organic acid plus direct-feed microbials was found significantly higher than that of control group lambs. Significant differences in total proteins, cholesterol, total lipids, and serum Zn levels were detected among the groups. As a result, addition of organic acid and/or direct-feed microbial to the ration of yearling Kivircik male lambs resulted in an increased body weight gain (p<0.05). In addition, the dietary supplement of organic acid to the lambs caused a decrease in the serum cholesterol level while direct-feed microbial addition caused an increase in the serum Zn level (p< 0.05).
Pakistan Journal of Nutrition 6 (2): 149-154, 2007
ISSN 1680-5194
© Asian Network for Scientific Information, 2007
149
Effects of Organic Acid and Bacterial Direct-Feed Microbial on Fattening
Performance of Kivircik-Male Yearling Lambs
Ismail Abas , Halil Can Kutay , Recep Kahraman , Nezir Yasar Toker ,
1 1 1 2
Dervis Özçelik , Fatma Ates and Aysun Kaçakci
3 3 3
Department of Animal Nutrition and Nutritional Diseases,
1
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University, 34320 - Avcilar, Istanbul, Turkey
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
2
Istanbul University, 34320, Avcilar, Istanbul, Turkey
Department of Biophysics, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty,
3
Istanbul University, 34300 Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
Abstract: This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of addition of organic acid (OA), (SAL CURB®)
and/or direct-feed microbial (DFM), (Cylactin® LBC ME 10) to the rations of Kivircik male-yearling lambs on
body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion, some blood metabolites, and the levels of serum
minerals. A group of sixty 1-year old male lambs of Kivircik Breed were used. The animals were divided in
to 4 groups of 15 lambs each. The groups were assigned as control, organic acid, direct-feed microbial, and
direct-feed microbial plus organic acid. A commercial direct-feed microbial product and organic acid mix were
used as feed treatment supplements. The average daily gain means of the lambs supplemented with
organic acid plus direct-feed microbials was found significantly higher than that of control group lambs.
Significant differences in total proteins, cholesterol, total lipids, and serum Zn levels were detected among
the groups. As a result, addition of organic acid and/or direct-feed microbial to the ration of yearling Kivircik
male lambs resulted in an increased body weight gain (p<0.05). In addition, the dietary supplement of
organic acid to the lambs caused a decrease in the serum cholesterol level while direct-feed microbial
addition caused an increase in the serum Zn level (p<0.05).
Key words: Kivircik male lambs, organic acid, direct-feed microbial, performance, blood parameter
Introduction
Recent studies on ruminant nutrition have mostly
focused on increasing the feed conversion rate. A variety
of feed additives have been developed to achieve this
objective. Antimicrobial feed additives, which are one of
the additives that have been used widely in the world;
have been prohibited or restricted in most countries due
to the increased concern of causing resistance to
antibiotics in bacterial pathogens. Therefore, the interest
to potential alternatives to antibiotic feed additives such
as direct-feed microbials (DFM), which is known as
biological products composed of cultures of useful
microorganisms (Alp and Kahraman, 1996; Krehbiel et
al., 2003; Elam et al., 2003), and organic acids
increased (Callaway and Martin, 1996; Martin, 1998;
Castillo et al., 2004).
In ruminants, direct-feed microbials are mainly used for
lowering the effects of stress conditions and decreasing
the use of antibiotics in calves. These microbials both
increase milk yield in dairy cows and the body weight
gain and feed conversion rate in beef cattle (Krehbiel et
al., 2003). Lema et al. (2001) it has been reported that
the addition of direct-feed microbials to the ration of
sheep resulted in decreased numbers of harmful
microorganisms in the intestines improved fattening
performance, and feed conversion rate.
Few studies have been carried out on the action of DFM
on blood parameters and published results have been
conflicted. Jouany et al. (1998), reported that DFM did not
have any effect on ruminal metabolism such as protein
decomposition or microbial protein synthesis and did
not cause any changes in some of the blood parameters
including serum urea, total protein and albumin. In
contrast, Chiofalo et al. (2004), found an increase in
serum urea concentration, whereas no change was
observed in blood total protein and total cholesterol.
There is still no product or method developed as a
substitute of antimicrobial feed additives. Yet, organic
acids (OA) are thought to be as one of the most
important candidate as an alternative of antibiotic feed
additives.
Organic acids establish antimicrobial effect in the
intestines by suppressing fungal activity and maintaining
acidic environment (Dibner and Buttin, 2002). Organic
acids are reported to improve rumen fermentation, like
ionophor antibiotics, they do and maintain the rumen pH
even after consumption of carbohydrate-rich feeds
through which an increased growth and fattening
performance are observed (Martin, 1998). Martin et al.,
Abas et al.: Organic Acid and Bacterial Direct-Feed Microbial
150
Table 1: Concentrate composition of the experimental ration.
Ingredient g/kg, as mixed
Corn grain, ground 360.0
Barley grain, ground 200.0
Sunflower Meal (280 g/kg CP) 200.0
Corn bran 80.0
Wheat bran 70.0
Molasses 65.0
Limestone 18.0
Salt 5.0
Vitamin + mineral premix* 2.0
*Composition of vitamin - mineral premix per kilogram of premix:
vitamin A 12 000 000 IU; vitamin D 3 000 000 IU; vitamin E 30
3
g; Mn 50 g; Fe 50 g; Zn 50 g; Cu 10 g; I 0.85 g; Co 0.15 g; Se
0.15 g.
Table 2: Nutrient contents of diet (DM basis)
Chemical composition (g/kg) Concentrate* Forage**
Dry Matter 872.4 834.6
Ash 61.0 96.4
Crude protein (N X 6.25) 148.4 104.2
Crude fiber 96.1 337.0
Ether extract 22.3 15.6
Ca 8.1 6.9
P4.7 1.5
*Ration consisted of 1: 1 concentrate: forage. **Composition of
per kilogram of forage: grass hay 520 g, wheat straw 440 g and
corn silage 40 g, as fed.
1999, noted that plasma component concentrations
were generally unaffected by organic acid (DL-malate)
except that, plasma urea level was lower for steers
whereas cholesterol was higher for heifers. Results of
a recent study by Castillo et al. (2004) showed that, in
addition to buffering effect in feed and rumen, organic
acids might increase energy-efficiency and digestibility
of crude protein, calcium, and phosphorus by lowering
methane production and decrease the numbers of
harmful bacteria attached to the intestinal wall.
The organic acid and DFM are feed supplements to
ruminant with the claim of improving performance.
However, there is little information about OA and DFM or
their combination on performance of lambs. To further
investigate the efficacy of using this additives with along
or their combination for lambs, we conducted
experiment to compare the effects of OA and DFM or
their combination on performance and blood
parameters of Kivircik male-yearling lambs. Blood
metabolite concentrations were also evaluated for
nutritional status of lambs.
Materials and Methods
Sixty yearling Kivircik male lambs were used in the
present study. The animals were randomly divided into
four boxes of four different treatments. The four different
treatments were assigned as control (C, no additive),
organic acid (OA), direct-feed microbial (DFM), and
organic acid and direct-feed microbial combination
(OA+DFM). The direct-feed microbial used was a
commercial product of Enterococcus faecium cernelle 68
strain (Cylactin® LBC ME 10) at 1.0x10 cfu/g
10
concentration. The organic acid used was a commercial
mixture (SAL CURB® brand dry) of 1 g/kg (propionic
acid, calcium propionate, ammonium formate, sorbic
acid, formic acid, and BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole).
The concentrate of control group of animals did not
receive any additive. The animals in OA group received
a mixture of organic acids at 3 g/kg, group DFM animals
received direct-feed microbial at 1 g/kg, and OA+DFM
group of animals received a combination of organic acid
(1.5 g/kg) and direct-feed microbial (0.5 g/kg) in their
concentrates.
The treatment ration consisted of 1:1 forage: concentrate
and was fed as total mixed ration (Table 1 and 2). Fresh
and clean drinking water and feed (mixture of roughage
and concentrate-yearling lamb feed) were given to the
animals ad libitum.
The roughage and concentrate feed were analyzed for
dry matter, ether extract, Nitrogen, and crude ash using
standard procedures AOAC (1990). Dry matter was
determined by oven drying for 24 h at 105 C (DM;
o
934.01), Nitrogen using the Kjeldahl Procedure with a
Kjeltec- UDK 126 A (Velp Scientific, Italy) (CP; 954.01),
crude ash by combustion at 550 C for 6h (OM; 942.01)
o
and ether extract by using Soxhlet extraction procedure.
Each animal was ear-tagged and weighed on days 0,
28, and 56 using a scale. Feed intake was recorded
daily as the difference between what was offered and
what was refused. In addition, the feed conversion ratio
of every group was calculated. Health conditions of the
lambs were closely monitored during the study.
Blood samples were collected from the individual
animals after morning feedings on days 0, 28, and 56.
The blood samples were taken from V. jugularis in to 10
ml-vacutainer tubes without anticoagulant and
centrifuged (4000rpm/min) for the separation of serum.
Using ready-to-use spectrophotometrical kits, the serum
samples were analyzed for deterring the levels of
albumin (Chema Diagnostica BC 0500 CH), total protein
(Chema Diagnostica TP 0500 CH), urea (Chema
Diagnostica A2 F245 CH), cholesterol (Chema
Diagnostica CT F400), total lipids (Spinreact, 1001270),
Ca (Spinreact, 1001060), Mg (Chema Diagnostica TP
0500 CH), and Pi (Spinreact, 1001155). In addition,
serum Fe, Cu and Zn levels were determined using
atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS, Shimadzu
680 AA) according to the methods of AOAC (1990).
The data was analyzed for One-way variance analysis
(ANOVA) using SPSS statistical analysis software
(SPSS, 2002). Tukey’s HSD test was used for comparing
the means of the treatment groups. A significant level of
0.05 was used for comparisons (Snedecor and
Cochran, 1980). Statistical analysis were not conducted
for feed consumption and feed conversion ratios since
the animals were fed in-groups.
Abas et al.: Organic Acid and Bacterial Direct-Feed Microbial
151
Table 3: Body weight and average daily weight gain of yearling lambs
Groups
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COA DFM OA+DFM SEM
Body weight, kg
Initial 47.90 46.03 48.03 44.75 1.010
Day 28 51.97 51.52 52.21 51.31 1.090
Day 56 59.90 59.75 61.49 59.52 1.134
Average daily weight gain, g
Day 0 - 28 145.1 195.9 149.1 234.4 10.40**
bab b a
Day 29 - 56 283.2 294.2 331.5 293.2 9.11*
bab a b
Day 0 - 56 214.3 244.9 240.4 263.9 7.33*
bab ab a
Groups: Control (C); Organic Acid (OA); Direct-fed microbials (DFM); Organic acid + Direct-fed microbials (OA+DFM)
Means within sub rows with no common superscripts differ significantly (p<0.05). * p<0.05; **p<0.01
a-b)
Results
The effect of dietary organic acid supplement and direct-
feed microbial on body weight (BW) and average daily
gain (ADG) of Kivircik Breed yearling male lambs are
shown in Table 3. Significant differences in ADG
between periods of days 0-28, 29-56, and 0-56 were
detected among the groups. However, during the trial,
the animals of OA, P, or P+OA groups showed no
significant change regarding body weight at day 56.
Overall ADG of the lambs in OA+P group were found
significantly higher than that of control group the trough
d 56.
Feed consumption for different periods (days 0-28, 29-
56 and 0-56) for total, roughage, and concentrate and
calculated amount of feed for 1 kg of BW gain is provided
in Table 4. Statistical analysis were not conducted for
feed consumption and feed conversion ratios since the
animals were fed in groups.
The data of the effect on lipid, protein and mineral
metabolism created by adding organic acid and/or
direct-feed microbial to the rations of Kivircik yearling
lambs are presented in Table 5. Significant differences
were found among groups at the levels of urea,
cholesterol, Mg, and Zn on day 28 and at the levels of
total proteins, cholesterol, total lipids and Zn on day 56.
Discussion
In this study, it has been investigated how the addition of
organic acid and/or direct-feed microbial to the rations of
Kivircik Breed male yearling lambs affect the feeding
performance, some blood parameters. The feed
additives are used in animal nutrition either by direct
addition to feed or water or as silage additive (Alp and
Kahraman 1996; Kurtoglu et al., 2001). In recent years,
a variety of in vitro rumen studies have been undertaken
to investigate the effects of OA and DFM additives on
rumen metabolism (Newbold et al., 1995; Callaway and
Martin, 1996; Lopez et al., 1999; Agarwal et al., 2000).
Results of the present study indicated that there were
appreciable but not significant differences among
groups in mean BW of the animals determined at the
end of the feeding period. However, the ADG of the
animals, which received OA, DFM, or OA+DFM were
significantly higher regarding in their rations than daily
gains of the control animals during the entire study
period (Table 3). For instance, BW gain of the animals in
OA+DFM group per day was 23.15% higher than that of
control group lambs (p<0.05). Although the daily feed
consumption of the animals in all groups were close to
each other, feed conversion ratios determined in
animals that received feed additive in their rations were
higher than those determined in control lambs (Table 4).
The results of the present study are consistent with other
published reports indicating that addition of direct-feed
microbial as microbial feed additive to the ration of
sheep resulted in increased BW gain and feed
conversion rate (Lubbadeh et al., 1999; Lema et al.,
2001; Chiofalo et al., 2004). Henderson et al. (1986)
reported that feeding a sheep with silage inoculated
through bacterial cultures resulted in an increased
consumption of dry substances and increased ADG
compared to the control group animals. In a similar
study done by Emanuelle et al. (1992) feeding the lambs
with inoculum-added dry forage improved the feed
consumption, BW gain, and feed conversion rate of the
animals.
Results of a study carried out by Nadeau et al. (2000)
revealed that bacterial inoculum and formic acid added
silage resulted in higher dry matter intake and improved
growth performance. In another study, it was indicated
that the addition of organic acid to the feed of steers
improved the ADG by 8.6% and enhanced the growth
performance (Martin et al., 1999).
The data, which were on the effects of direct-feed
microbials added to the feed, might be due to
differences in cultures used as direct-feed microbial as
well as variations in breed, age, gender, and
environmental conditions, as explained by Krehbiel et al.
(2003).
Results of the analysis of the serum samples obtained
from blood samples taken on day 28 and 56 of the study
are presented Table 5. Blood metabolite concentrations
were evaluated for nutritional status of Kivircik male
yearling lambs.
Regarding to the parameters concerning lipid
metabolism, the result of the present study was that the
Abas et al.: Organic Acid and Bacterial Direct-Feed Microbial
152
Table 4: Feed consumption and feed efficiency ratio of yearling lambs
Concentrate Forage Total
------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Groups*
------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
COA DFM OA+ COA DFM OA+ COA DFM OA+
DFM DFM DFM
Feed Consumption (gram per day)
Day 0 - 28 1046 1056 1049 1052 975 1001 975 985 2020 2057 2023 2036
Day 29- 56 1107 1106 1107 1124 1049 1045 1049 1059 2156 2151 2155 2183
Day 0 - 56 1073 1078 1075 1083 1008 1021 1007 1018 2080 2099 2081 2101
Feed Efficiency (gain: feed)
Day 0 - 28 0.14 0.19 0.14 0.22 0.15 0.20 0.15 0.24 0.07 0.09 0.07 0.11
Day 29- 56 0.26 0.27 0.30 0.26 0.27 0.28 0.32 0.28 0.13 0.14 0.15 0.13
Day 0 - 56 0.20 0.23 0.22 0.24 0.21 0.24 0.24 0.26 0.10 0.12 0.12 0.13
* Groups: Control (C); Organic Acid (OA); Direct-fed microbials (DFM); Organic acid + Direct-fed microbials (OA+DFM)
Table 5: Effects of organic acid and/or direct-fed microbials on some blood parameters in yearling lambs
Groups SEM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COA DFM OA + DFM
----------------------------------------------------------------------- Initial ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Albumin (g/L) 37.90 38.40 34.70 35.00 0.69
Total protein (g/L) 65.40 62.70 61.30 64.50 1.25
Urea (g/L) 0.26 0.20 0.27 0.28 0.02
Cholesterol (g/L) 0.86 0.91 0.82 0.78 0.02
Total lipid (g/L) 7.46 7.17 8.09 7.39 0.13
Ca (g/L) 0.09 0.09 0.10 0.10 0.003
Mg (mEq/L) 58.30 43.10 66.10 47.90 3.21
P (g/L) 0.05 0.04 0.05 0.05 0.002
i
Fe (mg/L) 1.20 1.20 1.30 1.30 0.53
Cu (mg/L) 0.70 0.71 0.61 0.78 0.03
Zn (mg/L) 0.61 0.54 0.64 0.53 0.02
------------------------------------------------------------------ Day 28 ------------------------------------------------------------------
Albumin (g/L) 40.50 38.10 41.90 42.30 0.82
Total protein (g/L) 62.10 55 65.40 62.40 2.15
Urea (g/L) 0.18 0.28 0.16 0.21 0.01*
b a b ab
Cholesterol (g/L) 7.69 5.95 8.24 7.42 0.03**
a b a ab
Total lipid (g/L) 7.11 7.39 7.33 6.91 0.11
Ca (g/L) 0.09 0.08 0.08 0.07 0.003
Mg (mEq/L) 53.4 70.5 68.0 52.1 2.50**
b a ab b
P (g/L) 0.04 0.05 0.05 0.04 0.001
i
Fe (mg/L) 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.2 0.05
Cu (mg/L) 0.98 0.86 0.96 0.93 0.03
Zn (mg/L) 0.85 0.69 0.91 0.77 0.02***
ab cabc
------------------------------------------------------------------ Day 56 ------------------------------------------------------------------
Albumin (g/L) 40.20 38.90 39.70 39.50 0.90
Total protein (g/L) 88.30 61.60 63.60 65.90 2.89***
a b b b
Urea (g/L) 0.20 0.24 0.19 0.22 0.01
Cholesterol (g/L) 9.60 7.23 8.41 7.98 0.22**
a b ab b
Total lipid (g/L) 8.02 7.20 7.33 6.70 0.15*
aab ab b
Ca (g/L) 0.10 0.08 0.08 0.09 0.003
Mg (mEq/L) 45.10 52.10 52.20 55 3.10
P (g/L) 0.04 0.03 0.04 0.03 0.002
i
Fe (mg/L) 1.80 1.70 1.80 1.80 0.06
Cu (mg/L) 0.93 0.94 0.88 0.84 0.02
Zn (mg/L) 0.64 0.84 0.86 0.85 0.03
b a a a
** Groups: Control (C); Organic Acid (OA); Direct-fed microbials (DFM); Organic acid + Direct-fed microbials (OA+DFM)
Means within sub rows with no common superscripts differ significantly (p<0.05). *p<0.05; ** p<0.01; *** p<0.001
a-c)
addition of the OA to the rations of the lambs significantly OA+DFM decreased the level of lipids significantly on
decreased the cholesterol level of the OA group animals day 56.
on days 28 and 56. On the other hand, the addition ofAlthough there are number of studies indicating that
organic acid and direct-feed microbial decreased the
total lipids relatively but not significantly. The addition ofdirect-feed microbials lower the blood cholesterol level
(Alp and Kahraman 1996; Lubbadeh et al., 1999), the
Abas et al.: Organic Acid and Bacterial Direct-Feed Microbial
153
results of the current study revealed that organic acidsConclusions: Results of the present study indicated that
decreased significantly the cholesterol level more thanaddition of organic acid or direct-feed microbial alone or
direct-feed microbials did. Lubbadeh et al., (1999)their combination to the rations of Kivircik Breed -male
brought up a possible explanation why the direct-feedyearling lambs increased body weight gain.
microbials decrease the level of cholesterol. MicrobialFurthermore, organic acid addition to the ration caused
feed additives reduce the absorption of lipid from the a decrease in blood cholesterol level while the addition
intestines by deconjugation; consequently it mayof direct-feed microbial caused an increase in blood Zn
decrease blood cholesterol. level.
The total protein, urea and albumin contents in blood are
indicators of protein metabolism in the organism. In this
study, the urea level of the yearling lambs in OA group
was found higher on day 28 than other groups (p<0.05).
This higher concentration of plasma urea was due to
increased quantity of ammonia absorbed from rumen
and circulating in the plasma because of the increasedin the lamb. Exp. Physiol., 76: 725-732.
feed consumption. Total protein level of the control group
animals was also found significantly higher than the
other groups at the end of the study period.
In one of the study, the effect of direct-feed microbials on
rumen metabolism and fattening performance in sheep
was observed and it was found that DFM did not change
the levels of some blood parameters including urea,
total proteins, and albumin. As a result, N metabolism
was not affected by yeast supplementation (Jouany et
al., 1998). In contrast to our result, Martin et al. (1999)
noted that blood urea concentration was decreased by
organic acid supplementation. The reduction in plasma
urea level for steers might have resulted from more
efficient utilization of dietary nitrogen. In addition,
Chiofalo et al. (2004) concluded that the application of
direct-feed microbial diet to growing Maltase goat kids
decreased blood total protein and urea levels. The
authors claimed that the lower content of urea could be
justified by better nutritional status.
During the trial, mineral metabolism was affected by
treatment. On day 28 of the present study; the serum Mg
level of the lambs in OA group was found significantly
higher than those of the control and OA+DFM groups. At
the end of this study (day 56), however, there was no
significant difference in Mg levels between the groups.
Another finding of the present study is that the addition
of direct-feed microbial to the ration caused and
increased serum Zn level (p<0.05).
The factors affecting mineral needs of animals,
inorganic composition of the body and tissues arekids. Reprod. Nutr. Dev., 44: 449-457.
determined by species of the animal, race, age, gender,
growth rate, health condition, nutritional condition,
endocrinological condition, season, and physiological
condition (lactation, pregnancy, dry period). In addition,
the mineral composition of the body and tissues depend
on levels of mineral and protein of the diet (i.e., amount,
chemical form, interaction between minerals) (Alp et al.,
2001; Kahraman et al., 2002). Abu-Damir et al., 1991,
reported that diet-induced change in blood acid-base
status was an important factor for mineral retention in
lambs and the rates of mineral retention were lowered
by acid diets in lambs.
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... and carboxylic acids activate the transformation of lactic acid into propionic acid through S. rumnantium using the succinate-propionate pathway (the glucose-transformation pathway) in which malic acid increases the development of rumen papillae (length and width) causing increased absorption of nutrients (Martin et al., 2000;Abdelrahman et al., 2019), glucose and lactose, and in this way malic acid increases the energy available for animal growth (Martin and Streeter, 1995). Those results agreed with the results of Abas et al., (2007); Elmali et al., (2012) and Malekkhahi et al., (2015). The interaction between the type of diet and the level of malic acid showed an increased significantly (P<0.05) for the treatment pellet + malic acid 4 g/kg feed in the final weight, the total weight gain and the average daily weight gain compared with the other treatments. ...
... The treatment of 4 g of malic acid/kg feed recorded feed efficiency better than 8g and 0g of malic acid/kg feed treatments. Results were in agreement with Flores Pérez, (2004); Abas et al., (2007) and Mungói, (2012), who reported that malic acid and its salts had a role in improving feed efficiency in farm animals. The treatment of pellet + malic acid 4 g was improved in the average feed efficiency as compared to the other treatments. ...
... Our findings were in accordance with those of Hundal et al. (2004), who reported that TMRs and conventional feeding systems had no effect on blood protein and albumin levels. Abas et al. (2007) and Soren et al. (2013) also observed that blood total protein and albumin concentrations were not influenced by the dietary supplementation of probiotics in lambs. ...
... This could be due to an improved metabolism as well as a positive energy balance with probiotic additions. Such a reduction was reported by Abas et al. (2007) and Ayad et al. (2013) in lambs and cows supplemented with probiotics, respectively. The serum cholesterol concentration was lower for cattle fed probiotic fermented straw based TMR compared to others, but the difference was not statistically (P>0.05) ...
... The study also found a negative correlation between total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and NO, suggesting an inverse relationship between these oxidative stress markers. Previous studies have linked food deprivation to elevated NO levels in rats, supporting the need for further research on dietary supplements and their effects on oxidative stress during weaning 27,28 . ...
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Introduction: The weaning process is a stressful phase for goat kids, impacting energy metabolism, antioxidant levels, and inflammatory responses, potentially hindering health and growth. Supplementing probiotics and yeast extracts may help mitigate these effects by improving gut health and immune responses. This study evaluated the relationship between oxidative stress markers and inflammatory parameters in Saanen goat kids during weaning. Materials and methods: The study involved 40 female Saanen goat kids with closely aligned birth dates (±2 days), randomly divided into four groups, Group 1 (n=10) received 1g/day probiotics (Pr), Group 2 (n=10) received 3g/day yeast cell wall extract (YC), Group 3 (n=10) received both supplements (1g Pr + 3g YC), and Group 4 (n=10) served as the control. Key parameters were cortisol, ferritin, nitric oxide (NO), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), triglycerides, and adenosine deaminase (ADA) and were measured to assess their associations and correlations during the weaning period under supplementation. Results: The results showed a significant negative correlation between ferritin and cortisol, as well as between nitric oxide (NO) and cortisol. While ADA was not directly associated with NO, a significant positive correlation was observed between them. TAC demonstrated significant negative correlations with both NO and triglycerides, with the latter showing a quadratic relationship. Conclusion: This study highlights the intricate interplay between stress parameters (cortisol, TAC, and NO), inflammatory markers (ferritin and ADA), and energy metabolism (triglycerides) during the weaning phase in goat kids. Supplementation with probiotics and yeast extract demonstrated potential benefits in modulating these physiological traits, reducing stress, and supporting overall health.
... Additionally, probiotic supplementation did not impact on blood cholesterol levels in sheep or lamb (Chiofalo et al., 2004;Galıp, 2006;Hussein, 2014;Soren et al., 2013). However, Enterococcus faecium cernelle strain supplementation did not lower cholesterol concentrations in Kivircik male sheep, whereas organic acid supplementation did, according to Abas et al. (2007). Inhibition of cholesterol synthesis or direct absorption of cholesterol may be responsible for decreased cholesterol levels (Zacconi et al., 1992). ...
Article
The current study was conducted to explore the productive performance and health status of lactating buffaloes fed diets supplemented with probiotic and/or fibrolytic enzymes. Forty multiparous lactating Egyptian buffaloes (body weight 451 ± 8.5 kg) were equally assigned to four experimental groups: (1) the first group fed control diet, (2) second experimental group fed control diet plus 4 g of probiotic/kg dry matter (DM) (probiotic), (3) third experimental group fed control diet plus 4 g of fibrolytic enzymes/kg DM (enzymes) and (4) fourth experimental group fed control diet plus 2 g of probiotic + 2 g fibrolytic enzymes/kg DM (Mix), The experiment was extended for 63 days. Nutrients digestibility was estimated, daily milk yield was recorded and milk samples were analyzed for total solids, fat protein, lactose and ash. Blood serum samples were analyzed for glucose, total protein, albumin, urea-N, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and cholesterol concentrations. Results showed that adding probiotic and/or fibrolytic enzymes improved nutrients digestibility (p < 0.05). The probiotic, enzymes and mix groups did not affect (p > 0.05) concentrations of serum total protein, albumin (A), globulin (G), albumin/ globulin (A/G) ratio and urea-N concentrations. An improvement in daily milk yield (p < 0.0001) and energy-corrected milk (p = 0.0146) were observed with the probiotic and mix groups compared with the control. In conclusion, this study suggests that supplementing lactating buffaloes' diets with probiotic alone or in combination with fibrolytic enzymes would improve their productive performance without adversely impacting their health. K E Y W O R D S blood chemistry, buffalo, fibrolytic enzymes, milk yield, nutrients digestibility, probiotic J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr. 2023;1-9. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jpn | 1
... The results of this study on the effects of probiotics feed on plasma lipid biochemical indicators in Sunit sheep are consistent with the findings of Abas, Chiofalo, and Baiomy, who reported that probiotics supplementation can decrease the concentrations of plasma TG and LDL in lambs (Chiofalo et al., 2004;Abas et al., 2007;Baiomy, 2010). The reduction of plasma TG may be attributed to the improved digestive and absorptive functions of ruminant animals by probiotics feed, which can reduce the absorption and synthesis of fats in the intestine, thereby lowering the synthesis and accumulation of plasma TG (Sheikh, 2019). ...
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This experiment aims to investigate the impact of probiotic feed on growth performance, carcass traits, plasma lipid biochemical parameters, intramuscular fat and triglyceride content, fatty acid composition, mRNA expression levels of genes related to lipid metabolism, and the activity of the enzyme in Sunit sheep. In this experiment, 12 of 96 randomly selected Sunit sheep were assigned to receive the basic diet or the basic diet supplemented with probiotics. The results showed that supplementation with probiotics significantly increased the loin eye area, and decreased plasma triglycerides and free fatty acids, increasing the content of intramuscular fat and triglycerides in the muscle and improving the composition of the fatty acids. The inclusion of probiotics in the diet reduced the expression of adenosine 5’-monophosphate-activated protein kinase alpha 2 (AMPKα2) mRNA and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1B (CPT1B) mRNA, while increasing the expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha (ACCα) mRNA, sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) mRNA, fatty acid synthase mRNA, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 mRNA. The results of this study indicate that supplementation with probiotics can regulate fat deposition and improves the composition of fatty acids in Sunit sheep through the signaling pathways AMPK-ACC-CPT1B and AMPK-SREBP-1c. This regulatory mechanism leads to an increase in intramuscular fat content, a restructuring of muscle composition of the fatty acids, and an enhancement of the nutritional value of meat. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the food science of animal resources and provide valuable references for the production of meat of higher nutritional value.
... TP and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) are indicators of protein metabolism in the organism. Abas et al. [32] found that the supplementation of organic acids in the rations of yearling lambs resulted in higher TP and lower BUN values. No differences in the BUN or milk urea nitrogen concentration (MUN) were found between the two dietary groups in the present study, but the goats fed the TRT diet showed lower values of TP. ...
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The microencapsulated mixture of organic acids and pure botanicals (OA/PB) has never been evaluated in goats. The aim of this study was to extend the analysis to mid–late lactating dairy goats, evaluating the effects of OA/PB supplementation on the metabolic status, milk bacteriological and composition characteristics, and milk yield. Eighty mid–late lactating Saanen goats were randomly assigned to two groups: one group was fed the basal total balanced ration (TMR) (CRT; n = 40) and the other was fed a diet that was TMR supplemented with 10 g/head of OA/PB (TRT; n = 40) for 54 days during the summer period. The temperature–humidity index (THI) was recorded hourly. On days T0, T27, and T54, the milk yield was recorded, and blood and milk samples were collected during the morning milking. A linear mixed model was used, considering the fixed effects: diet, time, and their interaction. The THI data (mean ±SD: 73.5 ± 3.83) show that the goats did not endure heat stress. The blood parameters fell within the normal range, confirming that their metabolic status was not negatively influenced by OA/PB supplementation. OA/PB increased the milk fat content (p = 0.04) and milk coagulation index (p = 0.03), which are effects that are looked on as favorable by the dairy industry in relation to cheese production.
... Исходя из результатов нашего опыта, скармливание пробиотиков не привело к закономерным изменениям морфологического статуса крови коз. Данные согласуются с результатами [8][9][10][11], в которые также не отмечается изменений в составе крови лактирующих козоматок и ягнят на фоне использования пробиотиков. ...
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To stabilize the digestive processes in ruminants, preparations of feed probiotics, prebiotics and phytobiotics are used. In the presented study, it was found that feeding "Plantarum" probiotic to goats within 30 days from the start of lactation leads to the activation of metabolic processes and has a positive effect on the intensity of protein metabolism. The aim of the research was to study the effect of the probiotic "Plantarum" based on lactobacilli and propionic acid microorganisms and the probiotic "Cellobacterin+" based on enterococci on the morphological and biochemical parameters of the shelter of lactating goats. The studies were carried out on three groups of Saanen goats (n=30, farm "Osennee Podvorie", Altai region, 2021). The goats of the control group were fed the basic diet (mixed hay, a mixture of concentrated feeds: rye, oats, pea flour, wheat bran, sunflower cake). Animals of group II in addition to the diet received a probiotic "Plantarum" (FGBNU "FANTSA", Barnaul) containing Lactobacillus plantarum and Propionibacterium freudenreichii (1 cm3 of the drug per 1 kg of live weight per day). In addition to the diet, goats of group III received a daily probiotic "Cellobacterin+" (Biotrof LLC, St. Petersburg) containing Enterococcus faecium (1 g of the drug per 1 kg of concentrated feed per head). The period of feeding probiotics was 30 days from the beginning of lactation. The study of morphological and biochemical parameters of goat blood was carried out twice. It was found that the indicators of protein, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in the blood of goats when using the preparations "Plantarum" and "Cellobacterin+" corresponded to the physiological criteria of a healthy organism. Feeding the "Plantarum" probiotic had a positive effect on the increase in the amount of total protein by 2.3% and globulins by 3.3% in the blood serum of goats. The content of total protein and globulins increased relative to the control by 11.9% (p<0.05) and 15.5% (p<0.01), respectively. When feeding probiotics, there was a tendency to decrease the level of cholesterol in the blood serum by 9.6-16.6% against the background of an increase in glucose concentration by 6.3-27.3% / Для стабилизации процессов пищеварения у жвачных животных применяют препараты кормовых пробиотиков, пребиотиков и фи-тобиотиков. В представленном исследовании установлено, что скармливание козам в течение 30 дней от начала лактации пробиотика «Плантарум» приводит к активации метаболических процессов и оказывает позитивное влияние на интенсивность белкового обмена. Цель исследований состояла в изучении влияния пробиотика «Плантарум» на основе лактобацилл и пропионовокислых микроорганизмов и пробиотика «Целлобактерин+» на основе энтерококков на морфологические и биохимические показатели крови лактирующих коз. Исследования проведены на трех группах коз зааненской породы (n=30, КФХ «Осеннее подворье», Алтайский край, 2021 год). Козам контрольной группы скармливали основной хозяйственный рацион (сено разнотравное, смесь концентрированных кормов: рожь, овес, гороховая мука, отруби пшеничные, жмых подсолнечниковый). Животные II группы в дополнение к рациону получали пробиотик «Плантарум» (ФГБНУ «ФАНЦА», г. Барнаул), содержащий Lactobacillus plantarum и Propionibacterium freudenreichii (1 см3 препарата на 1 кг живой массы в сутки). Козы III группы дополнительно к рациону ежедневно получали пробиотик «Целлобактерин+» (ООО «Биотроф», г. Санкт-Петербург), содержащий Enterococcus faecium (1 г препарата на 1 кг концентрированных кормов рациона на голову). Период скармливания пробиотиков составил 30 дней от начала лактации. Исследование морфологических и биохимических показателей крови коз проводили двукратно. Установлено, что показатели белкового, углеводного и липидного обмена в крови коз при использовании пробиотических препаратов соответствовали физиологическим критериям здорового организма. Скармливание пробиотика «Плантарум» положительно повлияло на рост количества общего белка на 2,3% и глобулинов – на 3,3% в сыворотке крови коз. Содержание общего белка и глобулинов увеличивалось относительно контроля соответственно на 11,9% (p<0.05) и 15,5% (p<0.01). При скармливании пробиотиков отмечена тенденция к снижению уровня холестерина в сыворотке крови на 9,6-16,6% на фоне повышения концентрации глюкозы на 6,3-27,3%.
... Previous studies have demonstrated that probiotic supplementation can improve gluconeogenesis by increasing propionate concentrations, which is the primary precursor of Glu, with a decisive influence on the Glu blood concentration in small ruminants [34]. Regarding the lipid profile, our results are in agreement with those obtained by Abas et al. [35], Chiofalo et al. [36], and Baiomy [37], who found that the concentrations of TLs, TGs, and LDL were decreased in kids or lambs that received probiotic supplementation. The reduction in CHO concentration in this study may be due to the inhibition of CHO synthesis or the direct assimilation of CHO [38]. ...
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Abstract: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding different levels of the combination of fibrolytic enzymes and probiotics (a mixture of bacteria and yeast) on the performance of fattening lambs. Thirty-two male Ossimi lambs (weighing 39 ± 0.24 kg) were divided into four groups randomly (eight animals each). The first group (control ration, G1) was fed on a ration of 60% concentrate feed mixture (CFM), 20% Egyptian clover (EC), and 20% wheat straw (WS). The second (G2), third (G3), and fourth (G4) groups were fed a control ration supplemented with Calfo Care® at concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 2 kg/ton diet of dry matter (DM). Results showed that the G2 and G3 rations significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased the DM, organic matter, crude protein, crude fiber, and ether extract digestibility compared with the G1 and G4 rations. Moreover, the G2 and G3 rations increased (p ≤ 0.05) the percentages of total digestible nutrients (TDN), starch values (SV), and digestible crude protein (DCP) compared with the G1 and G4 rations. Both the G2 and G3 rations significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased the TDN, SV, and DCP as kg/day or g/kg w0.75 and kg or g/100 kg body weight compared with the G1 and G4 rations. Conversely, the G1 ration significantly decreased the feed conversion of DM, TDN, SV, and DCP compared with the experimental groups. Furthermore, the G2, G3, and G4 rations significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased the total weight gain by 25.34%, 52.20%, and 3.79%, respectively, compared with the G1 ration. The G2, G3, and G4 rations also (p ≤ 0.05) increased the concentrations of most hematological parameters, including triiodothyronine, total protein, albumin, and glucose, compared with the G1 ration. Finally, the best net profit was recorded with the G3 ration.
... Previous studies have demonstrated that probiotic supplementation can improve gluconeogenesis by increasing propionate concentrations, which is the primary precursor of Glu, with a decisive influence on the Glu blood concentration in small ruminants [34]. Regarding the lipid profile, our results are in agreement with those obtained by Abas et al. [35], Chiofalo et al. [36], and Baiomy [37], who found that the concentrations of TLs, TGs, and LDL were decreased in kids or lambs that received probiotic supplementation. The reduction in CHO concentration in this study may be due to the inhibition of CHO synthesis or the direct assimilation of CHO [38]. ...
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Sheep meat is one of the most important sources of animal protein throughout the world, specifically in arid and semiarid regions. The meat yield of growing lambs can be maximized by improving the function and health of the digestive system, specifically using sheep diets containing ratios high in fibers. Diets rich in fibrous portions cannot be efficiently hydrolyzed by the endogenous enzymes or by the microbes of the rumen. Therefore, the addition of some feed additives that can improve fiber digestion and/or sustain digestive system eubiosis, such as fibrolytic enzymes, probiotics, and yeast, can be a suitable intervention. Fibrolytic enzymes are gaining importance because they improve the nutrient digestibility and performance of animals without affecting the animals’ health. Probiotics (bacteria and/or yeast) are also important feed additives that can support ruminal microbial activity and enhance gut health and ecology through rumen maturity by favoring microbial establishment. In the present study, dietary supplementation with a combination of fibrolytic enzymes and probiotics (Calfo Care®) at 0.5, 1, and 2 kg/ton diet of dry matter increased nutrient digestibility, feed intake and feed conversion, daily weight gain, average total weight gain, and improved most blood parameters of lambs. The addition of 1 kg/ton diet of DM resulted in more economic profit compared with other levels.
... or lambs with probiotics was shown to decrease the concentrations of triglycerides, total lipids, low-density lipoproteins and non-esterified fatty acids in the blood of ruminants. 142,143 Panda et al. 144 reported a significant reduction in total cholesterol and triglycerides by dietary inclusion of 100 mg kg −1 diet of Lactobacillus sporogenes probiotic in animals. Total cholesterol reduction in probiotic supplemented animals could be the result of direct assimilation of cholesterol by bacterial cells (which causes a reduction in the cholesterol absorption and synthesis in the GIT), 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase inhibition and bile salt hydrolysis. ...
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Globally, ruminant production contributes immensely to the supply of the highest quality and quantity of proteins for human consumption, sustenance of livelihoods, and attainment of food security. Nevertheless, the phasing out of antibiotics in animal production has posed a myriad of challenges, including poor growth, performance and nutrient utilization, pathogen colonization, dysbiosis, and food safety issues in ruminants. Probiotics (direct‐fed microbials), comprising live microbial strains that confer health and nutritional benefits to the host when administered in appropriate quantities, are emerging as a viable, safe, natural and sustainable alternative to antibiotics. Although the mechanisms of action exerted by probiotics on ruminants are not well elucidated, dietary probiotic dosage to ruminants enhances development and maturation, growth and performance, milk production and composition, nutrient digestibility, feed efficiency, pathogen reduction, and mitigation of gastrointestinal diseases. However, the beneficial response to probiotic supplementation in ruminants is not consistent, being dependent on the microbial strain selected, combination of strains, dose, time and frequency of supplementation, diet, animal breed, physiological stage, husbandry practice, and farm management. Nonetheless, several studies have recently reported beneficial effects of probiotics on ruminant performance, health and production. This review conclusively re‐iterates the need for probiotics inclusion for the sustainability of ruminant production. Considering the role that ruminants play in food production and employment, global acceptance of sustainable ruminant production through supplementation with probiotics will undoubtedly ensure food security and food safety for the world. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
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This study was carried out in the Marmara region, which is known as one of the regions where animal husbandry is most developed in Turkey. The aim of the study was to determine and collect data on the mineral contents of forages and feedstuffs that are harvested and used in animal nutrition in the region. A further aim was to determine the blood mineral levels of sheep in order to gain information on the mineral insufficiency and/or excess mineral levels in sheep, which are fed mainly with these feedstuffs. Fifty-five different locations in 11 provinces within the whole of the Marmara region, where sheep farming is a common practice, were selected for this study. All locations were visited twice during the study, in autumn (November-December) and in spring (May-June), to collect samples in order to determine the effect of seasonal changes on the mineral contents of forages and the blood mineral levels of sheep. In each location, samples from the available forage and blood samples of 5-6 sheep were collected. Forage and the blood samples were analyzed in order to determine the Ca, P, Mg, K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn levels. Spectrophotometric analysis and atomic absorption spectrophotometer were used to determine the level of phosphorus and other minerals in forage samples, respectively. Blood samples were analyzed for their Ca, Pi and Mg levels using a colorimetric autoanalyzer and K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn levels using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Collected data are shown in the tables in terms of the average of the Marmara region as well as on a province basis for the forage, and on a province basis for the blood samples. Results of this study show that there are variations in the mineral contents of forage amongst the provinces, as well as amongst various locations within the same province. Seasonal changes are also shown to have an effect on mineral contents of forage. Excess or insufficient mineral levels in forage bring about no clinical signs of a disease in sheep of the same particular region. In light of the data collected in this study, it is clear that preventive measures can be taken to avoid some performance losses in sheep in the region.
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Probiotics are defined as living micro-organisms, that upon ingestion in certain numbers, exert health benefits to the host. Their use is linked to proven efficacy on the gastrointestinal microbial equilibrium as well as immunomodulation. The positive effect in animals exerts not only in an improved health status, especially in young animals, but also in improved animal performance, including growth rate and feed conversion efficiency. Microorganisms that are used in animal feeds in the EU are mainly Gram-positive bacteria belonging to genera Bacillus, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus and Streptococcus and yeasts, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Kluyveromyces species. While most of the species are apparently safe, certain microorganisms may exert harmful properties for animals as well as humans. Enterococci, for example, might harbour transmissible antibiotic resistance determinants, which have the potential to spread in animal and human-associated pathogenic microbial populations. Recent developments in synthetic and systems biology, coupled with bioinformatics and novel tools for genetic engineering, will soon enable the construction of 'artificial' probiotic microorganisms with virtually any combination of properties. Whether and when these 'designer probiotics' will reach out of the labs depends on legislation as well as public opinion.
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Feeding cattle high-grain diets has brought concurrent problems with ruminal acidosis. Grain overload in feedlot cattle has gained the most attention because of its economic impact. In fact, ruminal acidosis is second only to respiratory diseases, in depressing animal performance and production efficiency. Much of the past research has focused on effects of antimicrobial compounds (such as monensin) on ruminal fermentation; they have become management tools to prevent or to control ruminal acidosis. Despite beneficial effects of such compounds, in 2002 the European Commission proposed to ban on antibiotic growth promotants including monensin. This legislation has important economic implications in production cost of beef. Several nutritional alternatives to monensin have been studied in vitro with diverse results. This paper provides an overview of research with organic acids (malate and fumarate) for beef cattle as a substitute for monensin. Although these organic acids may be considered as feed additives, more research is needed about the effects of malate and (or) fumarate on beef cattle performance. Dietary factors such as forage:concentrate ratio, and forage or cereal grain type may alter the response to these additives. In addition, appropriate timing for supplementing with malate or fumarate must be studied.
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Approvals for the use of nontherapeutic antibiotics in animal feed are fast disappearing worldwide. The primary effect of antibiotics is antimicrobial; all of the digestibility and performance effects can by explained by their impact on the gastrointestinal microflora. Among the candidate replacements for antibiotics are organic acids, both individual acids and blends of several acids. Like antibiotics, short-chain organic acids also have a specific antimicrobial activity. Unlike antibiotics, the antimicrobial activity of organic acids is pH dependent. Organic acids have a clear and significant benefit in weanling piglets and have been observed to benefit poultry performance. Organic acids have antimicrobial activity; however, there appear to be effects of organic acids beyond those attributed to antimicrobial activity. Reductions in bacteria are associated with feeding organic acids, which are particularly effective against acid-intolerant species such as E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter. Both antibiotics and organic acids improve protein and energy digestibilities by reducing microbial competition with the host for nutrients and endogenous nitrogen losses, by lowering the incidence of subclinical infections and secretion of immune mediators, and by reducing production of ammonia and other growth-depressing microbial metabolites. Organic acids have several additional effects that go beyond those of antibiotics. These include reduction in digesta pH, increased pancreatic secretion, and trophic effects on the gastrointestinal mucosa. Much more is known about these effects in swine than in poultry. There appears to be more variability in detecting an organic acid benefit in comparison to that observed with antibiotics. Lack of consistency in demonstrating an organic acid benefit is related to uncontrolled variables such as buffering capacity of dietary ingredients, presence of other antimicrobial compounds, cleanliness of the production environment, and heterogeneity of gut microbiota. Additional research can clarify the role of these factors and how to minimize their impact.
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The objective of this study was to determine the effect of two probiotics, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) and Aspergillus oryzae (AO) without their culture medium, on the digestion of nitrogen (N) in sheep that have been successively defaunated and refaunated. Six sheep fitted with a large rumen cannulae were fed 1350gday−1 of a mixed diet composed of hay (600g), barley (600g) and soybean meal (150g). We studied: (i) defaunated sheep receiving no probiotics (six sheep); (ii) defaunated sheep receiving either SC (three sheep) or AO (three sheep); (iii) refaunated sheep receiving no probiotics (six sheep); (iv) refaunated sheep receiving SC (three sheep) or AO (three sheep). The probiotics had no effect (p>0.05) on ruminal feed protein degradation estimated by in vitro ammonia (NH3) production, whereas protozoa increased it (p
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Lactating ewes and their lambs were provided daily with two enteric capsules of a freeze-dried culture of selected strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus (1×10(9) colony-forming-units/dose), along with their normal diets, for a period of 120 days. Initially, the supplementation had a significant effect on the serum cholesterol levels of the suckling lambs, but the benefit was reduced after weaning. On slaughter at 120 days, the mean cholesterol concentrations in three cuts of lamb meat were reduced by over 20%, and that in the liver by ∼18%. In the Middle East where the consumption of lamb is high, this reduction could be beneficial for the consumer, and it is suggested that the potential value of probiotic cultures in ruminant nutrition merits further attention.
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The effectiveness of a microbial hay inoculant in high moisture alfalfa hay was evaluated. Alfalfa (third cutting) was baled at 72% DM without or with inoculant and at 82% DM without inoculant during yr 1. In yr 2, alfalfa (second cutting) was baled at 75% DM without or with inoculant and at 82% DM without inoculant. Application rate of inoculant was 3.8 L/.98 tonne each year. At this application rate, 90 billion cfu were applied per .98 tonne of forage. Hays were core sampled at 0, 14, 30, and 60 d after baling to determine chemical composition. By d 30, all hays had DM content of 89%. In yr 2, 12 wether lambs were assigned to three treatments in a replicated 3 x 3 Latin square. Treatments were chopped, low moisture hay plus corn; chopped, inoculated high moisture hay plus corn; and chopped, high moisture hay plus corn. All diets contained 63% alfalfa hay, 35% ground corn, and 2% minerals and vitamins. In yr 1, inoculated and low moisture hays were not different in chemical composition but were higher in CP and lower in NDF than high moisture hay. Neither NDF nor CP were different among the three hays in yr 2. Average daily gain was not different on the three diets. The feed to gain ratio was lowest for the inoculated hay, intermediate for the low moisture hay, and highest for the high moisture hay diet. Daily gain and feed to gain ratio were not different for lambs fed the inoculated hay baled at 75% DM compared with lambs fed untreated hay baled at 82% DM.
Article
The effects of diet-induced changes in blood acid-base status on mineral retention has been studied in lambs fed diets containing either 1% NH4Cl or 2% NaHCO3. Balance measurements using 45Ca and 32P showed no difference between them in the amounts of dietary Ca and P absorbed from the gut. Retention of both minerals, however, was lower and their excretion in urine higher in those fed the acid diet. Plasma Ca and P levels were unaffected but parathyroid hormone and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 levels were higher in lambs on this diet while measurements of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase levels in rib samples indicated an increase in osteoclast and a reduction in osteoblast activity in these lambs. Cell-mediated changes in bone turnover together with changes in urinary mineral loss would thus appear to be the major factors contributing to the lower rates of mineral retention seen in lambs fed acid diets.
Article
A ruminal simulation device (Rusitec) was used to compare the effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains NCYC 240, NCYC 694, NCYC 1026, NCYC 1088, and Yea-Sacc (a commercial product containing S. cerevisiae) on ruminal fermentation. S. cerevisiae NCYC 240, NCYC 1088, NCYC 1026, and NCYC 694 were grown on malt extract at 30 degrees C in aerated fed-batch culture and harvested along with spent growth medium by freeze-drying. Each vessel received daily 20 g of a basal diet consisting of hay, barley, molasses, fishmeal, and a minerals/vitamins mixture at 500, 299.5, 100, 91, and 9.5 g/kg of DM, respectively. Yeast preparations (500 mg/d) were added along with the feed. S. cerevisiae NCYC 240, NCYC 1026, and Yea-Sacc stimulated total and cellulolytic bacterial numbers, whereas S. cerevisiae NCYC 694 and NCYC 1088 had no effect on the numbers of bacteria. The effects of S. cerevisiae NCYC 240, NCYC 1026, and Yea-Sacc on ruminal fermentation were further investigated in vivo using ruminally cannulated sheep fed 1.5 kg/d of the diet used in Rusitec, supplemented with 2 g/d of yeast culture. All treatments tended to stimulate total and cellulolytic bacterial numbers. However, the stimulation was only statistically significant for S. cerevisiae NCYC 1026 with total bacterial numbers and S. cerevisiae NCYC 240 with cellulolytic bacteria (P < .05). Increased bacterial numbers were associated with an increase in the rate of straw degradation in the rumen and a nonsignificant (P > .05) increase in the excretion of purine derivatives in the urine, measured as an index of microbial nitrogen leaving the rumen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Article
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of organic acids and monensin on the in vitro fermentation of cracked corn by mixed ruminal microorganisms. Ruminal fluid was collected from a steer fed 36.3 kg of wheat silage and 4.5 kg of concentrate supplement once daily. Mixed ruminal microorganisms were incubated in anaerobic media that contained 20% (vol/vol) ruminal fluid and .4 g of cracked corn. Incubations were carried out in batch culture for 24 h at 39 degrees C. Organic acids (L-aspartate, fumarate, and DL-malate) were added to serum bottles (n = 4) to achieve final concentrations of 0, 4, 8, or 12 mM. Monensin, dissolved in ethanol, was included in serum bottles at a final concentration of 0 or 5 ppm of culture fluid. The addition of 8 and 12 mM organic acids to cracked corn fermentations increased final pH (P < .05), tended to increase total gas production and CO2 concentration, and decreased the acetate:propionate ratio (P < .05). Organic acids tended to decrease methane concentrations and hydrogen concentration was not altered. DL-Malate addition at all levels reduced (P < .05) lactate accumulation. Additive effects of monensin and organic acids were observed in some fermentations. In conclusion, organic acid addition to in vitro mixed ruminal microorganism fermentations yielded beneficial results independent of monensin treatment by decreasing the acetate: propionate ratio and increasing final pH.