Lactational performance and nutrients digestibility response of dairy buffaloes fed diets supplemented with probiotic (Streptococcus spp.) and fibrolytic enzymes

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.

Oil-in-Water Nanoemulsion Can Modulate the Fermentation, Fatty Acid Accumulation, and the Microbial Population in Rumen Batch Cultures

In this study, three oil-in-water nanoemulsions were tested in two stages: In the first stage, three levels (on the substrate dry matter (DM)), namely 3%, 6%, and 9%, of three different oils, olive oil (OO), corn oil (CO), and linseed oil (LO), in raw and nanoemulsified (N) forms were used separately in three consecutive rumen batch cultures trials. The second stage, which was based on the first stage's results, consisted of a batch culture trial that compared the raw and nanoemulsified (N) forms of all three oils together, provided at 3% of the DM. In the first stage, NOO, NCO, and NLO preserved higher unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) and less saturated fatty acid (SFA) compared to OO, CO, and LO, respectively; noticeably, NCO had UFA:SFA = 1.01, 1.16, and 1.34 compared to CO, which had UFA:SFA = 0.66, 0.69, and 0.72 when supplemented at 3%, 6%, 9% of DM, respectively. In the second stage, UFA:SFA = 1.04, 1.12, and 1.07 for NOO, NCO, NLO, as compared to UFA:SFA = 0.69, 0.68, and 0.72 for OO, CO, and LO supplemented at 3% of DM. In conclusion, oil-in-water nanoemulsions showed an ability to decrease the transformation of UFA to SFA in the biohydrogenation environment without affecting the rumen microorganisms.

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.

Lactation performance and feed utilization of Rahmani ewes fed with either a newly produced bacteriocin-like substance or a commercial bacteriocin

The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of feeding a newly produced bacteriocin-like substance from Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis (PNP) with a commercial bacteriocin (NISEEN-S; CNP) in lactating Rahmani ewe diets. In experiment 1, the effects of four levels (500, 1,000, 1,500, and 2,000 unit/kg substrate, dry matter (DM) basis) of both bacteriocins on in vitro ruminal fermentation kinetics, total gas production (TGP), methane production (CH₄), and nutrient degradability were determined. In experiment 2, 2 wk before the expected parturition, 30 multiparous lactating Rahmani ewes (mean ± SD: 2 ± 0.3 parity, 46.8 ± 2.5 kg body weight, 23 ± 2.7 mo of age, and 370 ± 13 g/d of previous milk production) were equally divided into three treatments in a complete randomized design for 90 d. The ewes in the control treatment were offered a diet composed of 600 g of concentrate feed mixture, 300 g berseem hay, and 100 g of faba bean straw (Control), or supplemented with produced bacteriocin like substance (PNP) or commercial (CNP) bacteriocin at 500 unit/kg feed (DM basis). In experiment 1, both PNP and CNP linearly and quadratically decreased (P < 0.001) CH₄ production; however, PNP and CNP at 500 unit/kg feed quadratically increased fiber degradability (P < 0.01). In experiment 2, both PNP and CNP increased (P < 0.05) nutrient digestibility, and ruminal total volatile fatty acids, acetate, and propionate, while decreasing ruminal ammonia-N. The PNP treatment increased (P < 0.05) blood total proteins and albumin, while PNP and CNP treatments increase serum glucose. Both PNP and CNP treatments increased (P < 0.05) daily milk production and milk efficiency, without affecting the concentration of milk components. Both PNP and CNP are recommended to improve feed utilization and milk production, with superior results detected for PNP at 500 unit/kg feed daily.

Probiotic Yoghurt Made from Milk of Ewes Fed a Diet Supplemented with Spirulina platensis or Fish Oil

Purpose

Yoghurt is a widely consumed dairy product around the world. It has healing properties and characteristics that are important for human health. Our goal was to see how using ewes' milk fed Spirulina platensis (SP) or fish oil (FO)-supplemented diets affected the chemical, physical, and nutritional properties of yoghurt, as well as the activity and survival of starter and probiotic bacteria during storage.

Methods

The collected milk from each ewe group was preheated to 65 °C and homogenized in a laboratory homogenizer, then heated to 90 °C for 5 min, cooled to 42 °C, and divided into two equal portions. The first portion was inoculated with 2.0% mixed starter culture (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, 1:1), whereas the second was inoculated with 2% mixed starter culture and 1% Bifidobacterium longum as a probiotic bacteria.

Results

SP yoghurt had the highest levels of short chain-FA, medium chain-FA, mostly C10:0, and long chain-FA, namely C16:0, C18:2 and the lowest levels of C18:0 and C18:1, followed by FO yoghurt. The addition of SP or FO to ewes' diets resulted in yoghurt with higher viable counts of L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus, which were still >107 cfu/g at the end of storage, as well as a higher level of acetaldehyde content (P<0.05) as a flavor compound, than the control (C) yoghurt. The viscosity of SP yoghurt was higher than that of FO and C yoghurt; the difference was not significant. The addition of B. longum, a probiotic bacteria, to all yoghurt samples, improved antioxidant activities, particularly against ABTS• radicals, but reduced SP yoghurt viscosity. When B. longum was added, acetaldehyde content increased from 39.91, 90.47, and 129.31 μmol/100g in C, FA, and SP yoghurts to 46.67, 135.55, and 144.1 μmol/100g in probiotic C, FA, and SP yoghurts, respectively. There was no significant difference in sensory qualities among all the yoghurt samples during all storage periods.

Conclusions

Supplementing the ewes' diets with Spirulina platensis or fish oil can change the fatty acid composition of the resulting yoghurt. The starter culture's activity, flavor compounds, and some chemical, physical, and antioxidant properties of milk produced from these diets can all be improved, particularly in yoghurt treated with probiotic bacteria (B. longum).

Feeding Corn Oil in a Nanoemulsified Form Alters the Unsaturated Fatty Acids in the Milk of Zaraibi Dairy Goats

Simple Summary

Increasing the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of ruminant milk represents a much needed step to increase the functional properties of the milk. However, boosting milk fatty acids through feeding strategies has remained a significant challenge for years; it requires new solutions to deliver unsaturated fatty acids in a much safer form for rumen microorganisms than the traditional supplemented raw oil form. The goal is to target less biohydrogenation, which results in less saturated fatty acid accumulation in the rumen and milk. In the present study, the ultrasonic nanoemulsification of corn oil was introduced as a replacement for the raw form of oil supplementation; it was used at 3% of the offered feed dry matter in a trial on dairy goats. The new form of corn oil supplementation was more effective than the raw form of corn oil in increasing milk productivity and fat percentage and preserving a more significant proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the milk of dairy goats. Conversely, the raw form of corn oil resulted in milk fat depression and lower total solid content in addition to milk with higher proportions of saturated fatty acid.

Abstract

Oil in water nanoemulsion represents a new and unstudied form of oil supplementation to the ruminant diet; that is why the aim was to evaluate the potential of nanoemulsified corn oil in dairy goats’ diets on milk productivity and fatty acid proportion. Twenty-four lactating Zaraibi goats in early lactation were randomly allocated to the following treatments: control—a basal diet without any supplementation, CO—the control diet + corn oil supplied at 3% on a dry matter basis (DM), NCO—the control diet + nanoemulsified corn oil provided at 3% on a DM basis. A completely randomized design that lasted 30 days (25 days of adaptation + 5 days of sampling) was used with eight goats in each treatment. The control diet consisted of 50% concentrate and 50% Egyptian berseem clover. The NCO increased the milk production, fat percentage, and yield compared to the CO and the control. The proportions of oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids were higher in the NCO compared to the control and CO. The NCO had less effect on the biohydrogenation intermediates’ profile than the CO; noticeably, higher proportions of unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) were associated with the NCO. In conclusion, the NCO increased milk production and decreased the transformation rate of UFA to saturated fatty acids in the biohydrogenation environment.

Feed utilization and lactational performance of Friesian cows fed beet tops silage treated with lactic acid bacteria as a replacement for corn silage

Thirty multiparous lactating Friesian cows were used to study the effect of partial or complete replacement of corn silage with lactic acid bacteria (LAB), molasses and calcium carbonate ensiled sugar beet tops for 3 months in a complete randomized experimental design with repeated measures. A week after parturition, cows were grouped into three treatments of 10 cows each and fed a control treatment containing corn silage at 300 g/kg DM. In the other treated diets, 50% or 100% of the control corn silage was substituted with beet tops silage treated with LAB included at 150 g or 300 g per kg diet. Ensiling of beet tops with LAB decreased its contents of oxalic acid and neutral detergent and acid detergent fibers but increased its contents of non-structural carbohydrate and calcium. Without affecting daily milk production and feed efficiency, beet tops silage treated with LAB diets decreased (p < 0.05) feed intake, total ruminal volatile fatty acids, acetate and propionate concentrations, energy-corrected milk yield and concentrations of milk total solids, fat, protein and energy. In conclusion, beet tops silage treated with LAB can replace corn silage in diets of lactating cows. An inclusion rate of 15% of beet tops silage treated with LAB (replacing 50% of corn silage) in the diet was the most suitable level for lactating cows under the current experimental conditions.

Effect of Supplementing Diets of Anglo-Nubian Goats with Soybean and Flaxseed Oils on Lactational Performance

We studied the effect of soybean or flaxseed oil feeding in the diets of lactating Anglo-Nubian goats. A total of 20 goats (33.6 ± 0.6 kg) were divided into four treatments and fed a basal diet of berseem clover and concentrates (40:60 DM basis; control) or the control diet supplemented with either 20 mL/day of flaxseed oil or soybean oil or 10 mL of soybean oil plus 10 mL of flaxseed oil per day for 12 weeks (i.e., 22 to 23 g per kg of DM intake). Oil inclusion decreased ruminal pH (P < 0.05), and acetate but increased (P < 0.05) total volatile fatty acids and molar proportion of propionate and blood glucose (P < 0.01). In addition, increased milk yield and decreased milk-fat contents were evident (P < 0.05) with oil supplementation. Diets containing oil increased (P < 0.05) unsaturated fatty acids (FA), conjugated linoleic acid, and the athrogenicity index of milk fat but decreased saturated FA concentrations. It is concluded that soybean-oil or flaxseed-oil supplementation of goats at 20 mL/day increased feed utilization and milk production.