ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to monitor the effect of Bifidobacterium bifidum (BB) and the combination of Lactobacillus sporogenes, Enterococcus faecium, and Bifidobacterium bifidum (LEB) on the health status and weight gain of calves, and the utilisation of nitrogenous substances. The experiment was performed in the period from April 2020 to September 2020. A total of 90 Holstein heifers, which were one to 56 days old, were used as experimental animals. Differences in live weight gain were significant if we compared the LEB vs. BB group and the LEB vs. C, the control group (86.23 ± 5.49 kg vs. 84.72 ± 6.22 kg, p < 0.05; 86.23 ± 5.49 kg vs. 82.86 ± 5.35 kg, p < 0.01). Considering the live weight gain, group BB was heavier than group C only (84.72 ± 6.22 kg vs. 82.86 ± 5.35 kg, p < 0.05). An effect on reducing the incidence and duration of diarrheal diseases was not demonstrated in this study (p = 0.1957). The administration of feed additives had no statistically significant effect on the amount of N excreted in the feces. The values of hematological and biochemical parameters were unaffected except for the first sampling of urea. Other blood parameters were not affected by the addition of probiotic feed additives. The bacterial populations in the feces 5 days and 56 days after birth were not affected by the inclusion of feed additives.
ABSTRACT
The utilisation of different by-products from the food industry as nutrient sources for farm animals is both possible and beneficial. Grape pomace is a by-product that contains polyphenols and fatty acids, both of which have the potential to improve the nutritional quality of cow colostrum. This study aimed to explore how the addition of grape pomace to the diet of dry cows affects the concentration of nutrients and fatty acids of colostrum. Sixteen Slovak spotted cows in late pregnancy were used in this study. From the seventh day before expected calving to the day of calving, cows in the grape pomace group received a diet supplemented with dried grape pomace, at 0.116 kg/cow/day. Colostrum samples were analysed for basal nutrients and fatty acid concentrations. Between the control and experimental groups, the nutrient and fatty acid concentrations of all the colostrum samples did not show significant differences. The nutrient levels in the colostrum from both groups of cows were typical, as related to the time from calving. The addition of the grape pomace into the diet of dry cows had no effect on nutrient concentrations and the fatty acid composition of the colostrum. The somatic cell score of the colostrum sampled at the 12th hour after calving (4.2 versus 2.6) was positively affected by grape pomace addition. The results of this study revealed that grape pomace (fed in an amount of 0.116 kg/cow/day) had no positive or negative effect on the base nutrients and fatty acids of cow colostrum, and, therefore, grape pomace can be used as a nutrient source for dry cows in small amounts.
ABSTRACT
Coconut oil has a high content of lauric acid, which has selective antibacterial activity. This study aimed to explore the effect of coconut oil ingestion on the gastrointestinal microbiomes of pigs. A 14-day-long feeding experiment included 19 pigs in two groups (9 on a normal diet and 10 on a diet supplemented with coconut oil). At the start and end of the experiment, a rectal swab sample was taken from each pig in both groups, and total bacterial DNA was extracted. We used 16S rRNA high-throughput amplicon sequencing to evaluate the microbiome changes during the feeding experiment. A total of 446 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected in the whole sample set. Shannon's indices of bacterial diversity did not change significantly during the experiment. Changes in the bacterial community during the study period and in response to the coconut oil treatment were highly significant (p < 0.001). During the study, an increase in the abundance of Lactobacillus was detected in the group treated with coconut oil. An increase in Alloprevotella, Bifidobacteriales, and Lactobacillales and a decrease in Corynebacterium, Mitsuokella, Psychrobacter, and Pseudomonadales were attributed to the coconut oil treatment. Although the addition of coconut oil to pig feed did not affect Shannon's index of diversity, it had a positive effect on the abundance of bacterial groups that are considered to be commensal and/or probiotic.
