Effects of phytonutrients alone or in combination with monensin on productivity in lactating dairy cows

Capsaicin as a Dietary Additive for Dairy Cows: A Meta-Analysis on Performance, Milk Composition, Digestibility, Rumen Fermentation, and Serum Metabolites

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with capsaicin (CAP) on productive performance, milk composition, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and serum metabolites of dairy cows using a meta-analytical approach. The database included 13 studies, from which the response variables of interest were obtained. Data were analyzed using a random effects model, and results were expressed as weighted mean differences between treatments supplemented with and without CAP. Dietary supplementation with CAP increased (p < 0.05) dry matter intake, milk yield, feed efficiency, milk fat yield, and milk fat content. However, CAP supplementation did not affect (p > 0.05) milk protein and lactose yield, milk urea nitrogen, or milk somatic cell count. Greater (p < 0.05) apparent digestibility of dry matter and crude protein was observed in response to the dietary inclusion of CAP. Likewise, supplementation with CAP increased (p < 0.05) the rumen concentration of total volatile fatty acids. In contrast, CAP supplementation did not affect (p > 0.05) ruminal pH or the ruminal concentration of ammonia nitrogen, acetate, propionate, and butyrate. In blood serum, CAP supplementation increased (p < 0.05) the glucose concentration and decreased (p < 0.05) the concentration of non-esterified fatty acids. However, CAP supplementation did not affect (p > 0.05) the serum concentration of urea and beta-hydroxybutyrate. In conclusion, capsaicin can be used as a dietary additive to improve the productive performance, milk composition, and nutrient digestibility in dairy cows and, at the same time, improve the ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acids and serum levels of glucose and non-esterified fatty acids.

Effect of a blend of cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, and Capsicum oleoresin on methane emission and lactation performance of Holstein-Friesian dairy cows

This study aimed to investigate the effect of administering a standardized blend of cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, and Capsicum oleoresin (CEC) to lactating dairy cattle for 84 d (i.e., 12 wk) on enteric CH4 emission, feed intake, milk yield and composition, and body weight. The experiment involved 56 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows (145 ± 31.1 d in milk at the start of the trial; mean ± standard deviation) in a randomized complete block design. Cows were blocked in pairs according to parity, lactation stage, and current milk yield, and randomly allocated to 1 of the 2 dietary treatments: a diet including 54.5 mg of CEC/kg of DM or a control diet without CEC. Diets were provided as partial mixed rations in feed bins, which automatically recorded individual feed intake. Additional concentrate was fed in the GreenFeed system that was used to measure emissions of CO2, CH4, and H2. Feeding CEC decreased CH4 yield (g/kg DMI) by on average 3.4% over the complete 12-wk period and by on average 3.9% from 6 wk after the start of supplementation onward. Feeding CEC simultaneously increased feed intake and body weight, and tended to increase milk protein content, whereas no negative responses were observed. These results must be further investigated and confirmed in longer-term in vivo experiments.

Effects of herbal supplements on milk production quality and specific blood parameters in heat-stressed early lactating cows

The present study explored the influence of supplemental herbal mixtures on cow milk production, quality, and blood parameters in dairy cows under high ambient temperatures. Thirty Holstein cows were randomly assigned into three experimental groups of 10 each. The first control group was supplied with the commercial basal diet, whereas two treatment groups were provided with the commercial basal diet supplemented with 50 and 100 g/head/day of the herbal mixture, respectively. The results showed that the mixture of herbal supplementation did not influence weekly milk production. Milk total fat, triglyceride, and total protein values were not affected (p < 0.05) in cows fed on basal diets supplemented with herbal mixture; however, milk cholesterol was decreased significantly by 100 mg/head/day of the herbal mixture. On the other hand, lactose has increased significantly by adding 100 mg/head/day of herbal mixture. Furthermore, the total cholesterol level in serum was decreased by adding 100 mg/head/day of the herbal mixture, while plasma prolactin, cortisol, GOT, and GPT were unaffected. Regarding fatty acids (C18, C18:1 (c9), 18:1 (c11), 18:2 (c9, c12), 18:2 (t9, t12), and CLA (c9, t11)), there was no significant variation between the groups. Meanwhile, both C19:00 and 18:3 (c6, c9, and c12) were noticeably higher (p < 0.05) in the group that received 100gm, followed by 50 mg, compared to the control. In conclusion, the supplement with a herbal mixture positively affected milk quality by decreasing total cholesterol and increasing lactose, milk fatty acid profile by increasing unsaturated fatty acids content, and plasma cholesterol levels.

Effects of phytonutrients and yeast culture supplementation on lactational performance and nutrient use efficiency in dairy cows

Yeast culture and phytonutrients are dietary supplements with distinct modes of action, and they may have additive effects on the performance of dairy cattle. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a preparation of phytonutrients and a yeast culture from Saccharomyces cerevisiae on lactational performance, total-tract digestibility of nutrients, urinary nitrogen losses, energy metabolism markers, and blood cells in dairy cows. Thirty-six mid-lactation Holstein cows (10 primiparous and 26 multiparous) were used in an 8-wk randomized complete block design experiment with a 2-wk covariate period, 2 wk for adaptation to the diets, and a 4-wk experimental period for data and samples collection. Following a 2-wk covariate period, cows were blocked by days in milk, parity, and milk yield and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments (12 cows per treatment): basal diet supplemented with 14 g/cow per day yeast culture (YC; S. cerevisiae), basal diet supplemented with 1.0 g/cow per day phytonutrients (PN; 5.5% cinnamaldehyde, 9.5% eugenol, and 3.5% capsicum oleoresin), or basal diet supplemented with a combination of YC and PN (YCPN). Treatments were top-dressed once daily on the total mixed ration at time of feeding. Dry matter intake, milk yield, and feed efficiency were not affected by treatments. Milk composition and energy-corrected milk yield were also not affected by supplementation of YC, PN, and YCPN. There were no differences in intake or total-tract digestibility of dietary nutrients among treatments. Compared with YC, the PN and YCPN treatments tended to decrease the proportion of short-chain fatty acids in milk fat. There was an additive effect of YC and PN supplementation on urinary urea nitrogen (UUN) excretion relative to total nitrogen intake. Cows fed a diet supplemented with YCPN had lower UUN excretion than cows in YC and tended to have lower UUN excretion compared with PN. Blood monocytes count and percentage were decreased in cows fed PN and YCPN diets compared with YC. Treatments did not affect concentrations of blood β-hydroxybutyrate and total fatty acids. Overall, lactational performance, digestibility of nutrients, energy metabolism markers, and blood cells were not affected by YC, PN, or YCPN supplementation. A combination of PN and YC had an additive effect on nitrogen excretion in dairy cows.

A newly developed bacteriocin like substance to replace monensin in diets of lactating ewes

The aim of the present experiment was to evaluate the effect of feeding a newly produced bacteriocin-like substance (BLS) as a replacement for monensin in the diets of lactating ewes. In Experiment 1, the effects of BLS or monensin at 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 g/kg diet on in vitro ruminal fermentation were compared. In Experiment 2, 30 multiparous Barki ewes were divided into three treatments in a complete randomized design for 90 days. The ewes were fed a basal diet without supplementation or supplemented with monensin or BLS at 0.5 g/kg DM diet. In Experiment 1, the highest levels of BLS and monensin decreased gas production, while all levels of additives linearly decreased methane production. In Experiment 2, BLS increased nutrient digestibility. Additives increased ruminal total and individual volatile fatty acids and decreased ruminal ammonia-N. The BLS increased serum albumin and decreased the concentrations of serum liver enzymes, while both additives increased serum glucose and decreased urea-N. Additives increased daily production of milk, while the BLS treatment increased the feed efficiency. It is concluded that dietary inclusion of BLS at 0.5 g/kg DM for lactating ewes is recommended to replace monensin.

Feeding encapsulated pepper to dairy cows during the hot season improves performance without affecting core and skin temperature

Peppers (Capsicum spp.) contain capsaicin, an organic compound with a group of alkaloids that has shown thermoregulation properties in humans and mice, and may influence glucose and lipid metabolism in ruminants. An experiment was conducted to evaluate different doses of a feed additive containing encapsulated pepper on milk yield and composition, dry matter intake, feed sorting index, total-tract apparent digestibility of nutrients, purine derivatives excretion, and serum concentrations of urea-N and glucose, N excretion, respiration rate, rectal temperature, and skin temperature in different regions (forehead, face, and rumen). Thirty-six Holstein cows (150 ± 102.1 d in milk and 29.3 ± 5.81 kg/d milk yield) were used in a 9-wk randomized complete block (n = 12) design experiment. Following a 2-wk covariate period, cows were blocked according to parity, days in milk, and milk yield and were randomly assigned to the following treatments: 0 (CAP0), 0.75 (CAP75), or 1.5 (CAP150) g/d of a feed additive containing encapsulated pepper (1 g/kg, Capcin; NutriQuest) added to the concentrate along with minerals. Treatment differences were evaluated through orthogonal contrasts (CAP0 vs. CAP75 + CAP150 or CAP75 vs. CAP150). The average temperature-humidity index during the experiment was 72.0 ± 2.07. Dry matter intake was greater in cows fed a feed additive containing encapsulated pepper (CAP) treatments (CAP75 and CAP150) compared with CAP0. Cows fed CAP150 tended to have greater dry matter intake than those in CAP75 group. Feeding CAP decreased sorting for feed particles with size between 8 and 4 mm. An interaction effect between treatment and week was observed for crude protein digestibility whereas cows fed CAP150 had the greatest digestibility on the third week of experiment. Orthogonal contrasts did not detect differences in serum concentrations of glucose and urea-N, or purine derivatives excretion. Nitrogen excretion (as % of N intake) in milk, urine, and feces was not altered by treatments. Feeding CAP increased yields of 3.5% fat-corrected milk, fat, protein, and lactose. A tendency toward greater milk protein content was observed for cows fed CAP150 than CAP75. No differences were detected on respiration rate, rectal temperature, and skin temperature of cows. A feed additive containing encapsulated pepper fed at 0.75 or 1.5 g/d can improve yield of fat-corrected milk and milk solids by increasing feed intake without affecting nutrient digestibility and body temperature of lactating cows during the hot season.

Consequences of herbal mixture supplementation on milk performance, ruminal fermentation, and bacterial diversity in water buffaloes

This study was aimed to evaluate the potential of a herbal mixture (HM) to improve production performance, rumen fermentation, and milk fatty acid profile in water buffaloes. Sixteen Murrah buffaloes (in four groups) were fed for 10 weeks with the same basal diet supplemented with 0 (control); 20 (HM20), 30 (HM30), and 40 (HM40) g/buffalo per day. The herbal mixture contained an equal quantity of black pepper (fruit), ginger (tubers), cinnamon (bark), peppermint (leaves), ajwain (seeds) and garlic (bulbs). After two weeks of adaptation, daily milk yield, and weekly milk composition were recorded. On the last day of the experiment, rumen contents were collected to determine rumen fermentation parameters and bacterial diversity through 16S rRNA sequencing. Results revealed no effect of treatment on dry matter intake (DMI), rumen fermentation parameters, and daily milk yield. However, milk fat (%) showed a tendency to increase (p = 0.07) in HM20 as compared with the control group. A significant increase in mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids (C14:1, C16:1, C18:2n6 and C18:3) whereas a decrease in saturated fatty acids (C18:0) in milk was observed in HM20 as compared with the control group. No significant change in bacterial diversity parameters (alpha and beta diversity) was observed in response to the treatment. Despite the substantial variation observed in the relative abundance of bacteria among treatment groups, no significant effect of treatment was observed when compared with the control group. Correlation analysis revealed several positive and negative correlations of rumen bacteria with rumen volatile fatty acids (VFA) and milk yield traits. Bacterial genera including Succinivibrionaceae, Butyrivibrio, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Lachnospiraceae showed a positive correlation with VFA and milk yield traits. Overall, we observed 52 positive and 10 negative correlations of rumen bacteria with milk fatty acid contents. Our study revealed the potential of the herbal mixture at a lower supplemental level (20 g/day) to increase milk fat (%) and unsaturated fatty acid content in buffalo.

A Mixed Phytogenic Modulates the Rumen Bacteria Composition and Milk Fatty Acid Profile of Water Buffaloes

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of a mixed phytogenic (MP) on rumen bacteria and their potential association with rumen fermentation and milk yield parameters in water buffaloes. Twenty Murrah buffaloes were fed a basal diet (consisting of maize silage, brewers' grains, and concentrate mixture) for 6 weeks supplemented with 0 (control), 15 (MP15), 25 (MP25), and 35 (MP35) g of mixed phytogenic/buffalo per d. The mixed phytogenic contained fennel (seeds), ajwain (seeds), ginger (tubers), Swertia chirata (leaves), Citrullus colocynthis (fruit), turmeric, fenugreek (seeds), Terminalia chebula (fruit), licorice (roots), and Phyllanthus emblica (fruit) in equal quantities. After 2 weeks of adaptation, daily milk yield, and weekly milk composition were recorded. On the last day of the experiment (d 42), rumen contents were collected to determine rumen fermentation parameters and bacterial diversity through 16S rRNA sequencing. Results revealed no change in dry matter intake, milk yield and rumen fermentation parameters except pH, which increased (P = 0.029) in response to MP supplementation. The mixed phytogenic increased (P < 0.01) milk fatty acids (C4 to C14:0) in MP15 only. The milk C16:1 content and its unsaturation index were higher (P < 0.05) in MP35 as compared to the control and other treatments. Furthermore, C18:3n3 was higher (P < 0.05) in the control, MP15, and MP25, as compared to MP35. Supplementation of MP tended to increase (P = 0.095) the Shannon index of bacterial alpha diversity and a difference (P < 0.05) among treatment groups was observed in beta diversity. Feeding MP increased the Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Spirochaetes but decreased Bacteroidetes numerically. In addition, the dominant genus Prevotella decreased in all treatment groups while Pseudobutyrivibrio, Butyrivibrio, and Succinivibrioanceae increased numerically in MP25 and MP35. The mixed phytogenic promoted groups of rumen bacteria positively associated with milk and fat yield. Overall, our study revealed 14 positive correlations of rumen bacteria with milk yield and eight with rumen fermentation parameters. Our findings reveal substantial changes in the rumen bacteriome composition and milk fatty acid content in response to MP but these results should be interpreted carefully, as the sample size of our study was relatively small.

Effects of Capsicum and Propyl-Propane Thiosulfonate on Rumen Fermentation, Digestion, and Milk Production and Composition in Dairy Cows

Essential oils may affect rumen fermentation, nutrient digestion, and milk production and composition. The objective of this study was to test the effects of capsicum oleoresin (CAP) and propyl-propane thiosulfonate (PTSO) on rumen fermentation, total tract digestibility, and milk yield and composition in lactating dairy cattle. Six lactating Holstein cows (averaging (mean ± SD) 130 ± 40 days in milk and 723 ± 55 kg of body weight) fitted with rumen cannulae were used in a duplicated 3 × 3 Latin square design. Treatments were: a control diet (CTR), the CTR diet with the addition of 500 mg/d/cow of CAP, and the CTR diet with the addition of 250 mg/d/cow of PTSO. Dry matter intake (DMI) averaged 20.7 kg/d with a tendency towards higher intake in cows fed CAP and lower in those fed PTSO (p = 0.08). Milk yield averaged 31.8 kg/d with no difference among treatments. However, feed efficiency was higher in PTSO supplemented cows compared with CTR (1.65 and 1.41 kg of milk yield/kg of DMI, respectively; p < 0.01). At the doses used in this experiment, CAP and PTSO failed to demonstrate any effects on rumen fermentation, but PTSO increased the efficiency of feed utilization to produce milk.

Effect of cinnamaldehyde on feed intake, rumen fermentation, and nutrient digestibility, in lactating dairy cows1

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of cinnamaldehyde, on feed intake, rumen fermentation, nutrient digestibility, milk yield, and components in lactating dairy cows. Six lactating Holstein dairy cows (3 ruminally cannulated and 3 noncannulated) averaging 263 ± 41 d in milk (DIM) and 754 ± 45 kg of BW at the beginning of the study were used. Cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 19 d periods (14 d for diet adaptation and 5 d for sample collection). Treatments were 0, 2, or 4 mg/kg of BW of cinnamaldehyde. Cinnamaldehyde was mixed with 40 g of corn meal and top-dressed onto the total mixed ration (TMR). Diet was fed as a TMR and contained 37% corn silage, 18.5% mixed-mostly grass silage, 24.5% energy supplement, 16.5% protein supplement, and 3.5% vitamin and mineral mix on a DM basis. The dietary nutrient composition averaged 15.1% CP, 37.8% NDF, and 24.7% ADF. Cows were fed and milked twice daily. No differences were observed for DMI (mean = 24.6 kg/d), milk yield (mean = 28.4 kg/d), 3.5% fat-corrected milk (FCM; mean = 30.6 kg/d), and 3.5% energy-corrected milk (ECM; mean = 30.7 kg/d). The dose of cinnamaldehyde did not have any effect on milk components, rumen fermentation, or pH. There were no differences in nutrient digestibility, but there was a trend for a quadratic effect for DM digestibility (P = 0.09): 74.4%, 76.3%, and 73.7% for treatments 0, 2, and 4 mg/kg of BW of cinnamaldehyde, respectively. A linear effect (P = 0.02) and a quadratic effect (P < 0.02) observed for urinary urea N and a quadratic effect (P = 0.03) for allantoin and total purine derivatives with the 2 mg/kg treatment being the lesser value. These data suggest that cinnamaldehyde at these dosages may have an antimicrobial effect in the rumen as suggested by a lesser concentration of urinary total purine derivatives. Overall, supplementing lactating dairy cows with cinnamaldehyde had no effect on feed intake, milk yield, or milk components. However, it appears that cinnamaldehyde has a negative effect on rumen microbial protein synthesis as suggested by the reduced concentration of urinary purine derivatives.