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Supplements and Feed Additives in Dairy Cattle Nutrition

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A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Cattle".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2020) | Viewed by 28909

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Katerina Theodoridou

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Guest Editor

Institute of Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Northern Ireland, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
Interests: polyphenols; ruminant nutrition; alternative protein sources; animal products; milk and meat quality; feed evaluation; methane and ammonia emissions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Jordi Ortuno Casanova

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Guest Editor

School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
Interests: meat quality; food technology; animal nutrition; aromatic-medicinal plants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agricultural policies are designed to encourage agricultural practices that secure high yields of healthy animal products produced with less environmental impact, without negatively affecting animals, but they also must ensure environmental goals, such as minimizing the emission of greenhouse gases. Moreover, the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, a matter of global concern, has triggered a search from producers for alternative feed additives that can be used to improve animal production. Therefore, there is a growing range of feed additives, aimed for use in dairy cattle diets, that offer potential to improve feed efficiency and rumen metabolism, enhance gut health and/or reduce methane emissions. Nowadays, ‘natural’ products in various forms hold significant potential and include plant extracts, fatty acids, dietary lipids, essential oils, probiotics and condensed tannins. The aim of this Special Issue is to publish current and relevant information related to feed additives/supplements in dairy cattle nutrition. In particular, we invite original research papers and reviews that address any aspect of their use and their effect on rumen fermentation, feed efficiency, and animal health. In particular, original research papers and reviews on natural feed additives that can serve as an alternative to antibiotics and/or reduce methane emissions from dairy cattle are welcome.

Dr. Katerina Theodoridou
Dr. Jordi Ortuno Casanova
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

dairy cattle
feed additives
enzymes
probiotics
plant extracts
essential oils
tannins
methane emissions
antibiotics
animal health
alternative feed
rumen fermentation
fatty acids

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1796 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Metabonomic Responses of Grazing Yak to Different Concentrate Supplementations in Cold Season

by Jia Zhou, Shuangming Yue, Quanhui Peng, Lizhi Wang, Zhisheng Wang and Bai Xue

Animals 2020, 10(9), 1595; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10091595 - 8 Sep 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2176

Abstract

Supplementation plays an important role in reversing the weight loss of grazing yaks during cold season. However, little is known about the effect of supplementation on the serum metabolites of grazing yaks. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of supplementary feeding on average daily gain (ADG) and serum metabolites with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics method in growing yaks during cold season on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. Twenty 1.5-year-old female yaks (91.38 ± 10.43 kg LW) were evenly divided into three treatment groups and a control group (CON) (n = 5 per group). All the yaks were released to graze during daytime, whereas the yaks in the treatment groups were supplemented with highland barley (HLB), rapeseed meal (RSM), and highland barley plus rapeseed meal (HLB + RSM) at night. The whole experiment lasted for 120 days. Results indicated that the ADG of growing yak heifers was increased by concentrate supplementations, and ADG under HLB and HLB + RSM group was 37.5% higher (p < 0.05) than that with RSM supplementation. Supplementary feeding increased the plasma concentrations of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) of those in the CON group, and concentrations of BUN were higher in the RSM group than in the HLB and HLB + RSM group. Compared with the CON group, serum levels of glutamine, glycine, β-glucose were lower and that of choline was higher in the HLB group; serum levels of lactate were lower and that of choline, glutamate were higher in the HLB + RSM group. Compared with the HLB + RSM group, serum levels of glycerophosphoryl choline (GPC) and lactate were higher, and those of choline, glutamine, glutamate, leucine, N-acetyaspartate, α-glucose, and β-glucose were lower in the HLB group; serum levels of citrate, GPC and lactate were higher, and those of 3-Hydroxybutyrate, betaine, choline, glutamate, glutamine, N-acetylglycoprotein, N-acetyaspartate, α-glucose, and β-glucose were lower in the RSM group. It could be concluded that concentrate supplementations significantly improved the growth performance of growing yaks and supplementation with HBL or HLB plus RSM was better than RSM during the cold season. Supplementation with HBL or HLB plus RSM affected the serum metabolites of grazing yaks, and both treatments promoted lipid synthesis. Supplementation of yaks with HBL plus RSM could improve energy-supply efficiency, protein and lipid deposition compared with HLB and RSM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Supplements and Feed Additives in Dairy Cattle Nutrition)

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10 pages, 718 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of the Source of Zinc on the Tissue Accumulation of Zinc and Jejunal Mucosal Zinc Transporter Expression in Holstein Dairy Calves

by Fengtao Ma, Yeqianli Wo, Hongyang Li, Meinan Chang, Jingya Wei, Shengguo Zhao and Peng Sun

Animals 2020, 10(8), 1246; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10081246 - 22 Jul 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2344

Abstract

Zinc is considered to be an anti-diarrheal agent, and it may therefore reduce the incidence of diarrhea in young calves. In the present study, we aimed to compare the effect of zinc source on growth performance, the incidence of diarrhea, tissue zinc accumulation, the expression of zinc transporters, and the serum concentrations of zinc-dependent proteins in neonatal Holstein dairy calves. Eighteen male newborn Holstein dairy calves were fed milk and starter diet supplemented with or without 80 mg zinc/d in the form of Zn-Met or ZnO for 14 days, and were then euthanized. Zn-Met supplementation improved average daily gain and feed efficiency, and reduced the incidence of diarrhea, compared with control calves (p < 0.05). It also increased the serum and hepatic zinc concentrations and the mRNA expression of the ZIP4 transporter in the jejunal mucosa of the calves (p < 0.05). In addition, the serum alkaline phosphatase activity and metallothionein concentration were higher in Zn-Met-treated calves than in control calves (p < 0.05). ZnO supplementation had similar effects, but these did not reach significance. Thus, Zn-Met supplementation is an effective means of increasing tissue zinc accumulation and jejunal zinc absorption, and can be used as an anti-diarrheal strategy in neonatal calves. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Supplements and Feed Additives in Dairy Cattle Nutrition)

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15 pages, 958 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Meta-analysis Describing the Effects of the Essential oils Blend Agolin Ruminant on Performance, Rumen Fermentation and Methane Emissions in Dairy Cows

by Alejandro Belanche, Charles J. Newbold, Diego P. Morgavi, Alex Bach, Beatrice Zweifel and David R. Yáñez-Ruiz

Animals 2020, 10(4), 620; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10040620 - 3 Apr 2020

Cited by 67 | Viewed by 10064

Abstract

There is an increasing pressure to identify feed additives which increase productivity or decrease methane emissions. This paper aims to elucidate the effects of supplementing a specific essential oils blend Agolin^® Ruminant on the productivity of dairy cows in comparison to non-treated animals. A total of 23 in vivo studies were identified in which Agolin was supplemented at 1 g/d per cow; then a meta-analysis was performed to determine the response ratio on milk yield, rumen fermentation, methane emissions and health. Results indicated that an adaptation period of at least 4 weeks of treatment is required. Whereas short-term studies showed minor and inconsistent effects of Agolin, long-term studies (>4 weeks of treatment) revealed that Agolin supplementation increases milk yield (+3.6%), fat and protein corrected milk (+4.1%) and feed efficiency (+4.4%) without further changes in milk composition and feed intake. Long-term treatment also decreased methane production per day (−8.8%), per dry matter intake (−12.9%) and per fat and protein corrected milk yield (−9.9%) without changes in rumen fermentation pattern. In conclusion, despite the mode of action is still unclear and the small number of studies considered, these findings show that Agolin represents an encouraging alternative to improve productivity in dairy cows. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Supplements and Feed Additives in Dairy Cattle Nutrition)

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14 pages, 1057 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Metagenomic Insights into Effects of Thiamine Supplementation on Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes’ Profile in Dairy Cows Fed High-Concentrate Diets

by Yiguang Zhao, Fuguang Xue, Dengke Hua, Yue Wang, Xiaohua Pan, Xuemei Nan, Fuyu Sun, Linshu Jiang and Benhai Xiong

Animals 2020, 10(2), 304; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10020304 - 14 Feb 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2596

Abstract

As the co-enzyme of pyruvate formate-lyase under ruminal anaerobic condition, thiamine plays a critical role in carbohydrate metabolism in dairy cows. The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of thiamine supplementation on ruminal carbohydrate-active enzymes. Twelve Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned into three dietary treatments: control diet (CON; 20% starch, dry matter (DM) basis), high-concentrate diet (HC; 33.2% starch, DM basis) and a high-concentrate diet supplemented with 180 mg thiamine/kg DM (HCT; 33.2% starch, DM basis). Dry matter intake and milk production were recorded for 21 days. Rumen fluid samples were collected, and ruminal pH and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were measured. The metagenome sequencing technique was used to detect the genes in ruminal microorganisms and identify putative carbohydrate-active enzymes. The total abundances of carbohydrate-active enzymes and fiber-degrading enzymes were both reduced by HC with no effect on starch-degrading enzymes compared with CON. However, the fiber-degrading enzymes and starch-degrading enzymes were both increased after thiamine supplementation. These results indicated that 180 mg thiamine /kg DM might effectively improve rumen carbohydrate metabolism through increasing the abundance of ruminal carbohydrate-active enzymes and consequently balanced the rumen volatile fatty acids and rumen pH, providing a practical strategy in preventing subacute ruminal acidosis in cows offered HC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Supplements and Feed Additives in Dairy Cattle Nutrition)

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11 pages, 260 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Effects of the Supplementation of Lysophospholipids through Pelleted Total Mixed Rations on Blood Biochemical Parameters and Milk Production and Composition of Mid-Lactation Dairy Cows

by Yuhua He, Rongzhen Zhong, Long Cheng, Peihua You, Yiyong Li and Xuezhao Sun

Animals 2020, 10(2), 215; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10020215 - 28 Jan 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2214

Abstract

Lysophospholipids (LPL), a new feed additive, were supplemented to a pelleted total mixed ration (TMR) of dairy cows to examine its effects on feed intake, production, and composition of milk and plasma biochemical parameters. Two dietary treatments included diets supplemented without (control diet; CON) or with LPL at a dose of 0.5 g/kg of pelleted TMR. Twelve multiparous, mid-lactation, Holstein cows (Bodyweight 730 ± 9.3 kg; 100 ± 6.0 days in milk) were randomly assigned to one of the two dietary treatments with a 42-day measurement period after a 14-day adaptation period. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. Feed intake and milk yields were recorded daily, blood samples were collected fortnightly, and milk samples weekly. The results showed that the supplementation of LPL did not change feed dry matter intake, milk yields, and milk composition. However, it increased total protein and globulin and the activity of alkaline phosphatase and decreased total cholesterol in plasma. This study suggests that LPL may have beneficent effects in animal health but might be not a feasible feed additive to increase production for dairy cows fed a pelleted TMR. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Supplements and Feed Additives in Dairy Cattle Nutrition)

Review

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13 pages, 446 KiB

Open AccessReview

Research on the Applications of Calcium Propionate in Dairy Cows: A Review

by Fan Zhang, Xuemei Nan, Hui Wang, Yuming Guo and Benhai Xiong

Animals 2020, 10(8), 1336; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10081336 - 3 Aug 2020

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 8006

Abstract

Calcium propionate is a safe and reliable food and feed additive. It can be metabolized and absorbed by humans and animals as a precursor for glucose synthesis. In addition, calcium propionate provides essential calcium to mammals. In the perinatal period of dairy cows, many cows cannot adjust to the tremendous metabolic, endocrine, and physiological changes, resulting in ketosis and fatty liver due to a negative energy balance (NEB) or milk fever induced by hypocalcemia. On hot weather days, cow feed (TMR or silage) is susceptible to mildew, which produces mycotoxins. These two issues are closely related to dairy health and performance. Perinatal period metabolic disease significantly reduces cow production and increases the elimination rate because it causes major glucose and calcium deficiencies. Feeding a diet contaminated with mycotoxin leads to rumen metabolic disorders, a reduced reproductive rate (increased abortion rate), an increased number of milk somatic cells, and decreased milk production, as well as an increased occurrence of mastitis and hoof disease. Propionic acid is the primary gluconeogenic precursor in dairy cows and one of the safest mold inhibitors. Therefore, calcium propionate, which can be hydrolyzed into propionic acid and Ca²⁺ in the rumen, may be a good feed additive for alleviating NEB and milk fever in the perinatal period of dairy cows. It can also be used to inhibit TMR or silage deterioration in hot weather and regulate rumen development in calves. This paper reviews the application of calcium propionate in dairy cows. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Supplements and Feed Additives in Dairy Cattle Nutrition)

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