Sodium butyrate and monensin supplementation to postweaning heifer diets: Effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and health.

The objective of this study was to evaluate growth and performance of postweaning heifers supplemented with monensin (MON), sodium butyrate (SB), or the combination of MON and SB (MSB) compared with heifers not receiving these feed additives. Forty Holstein heifers [mean age 84.2 ± 1.2 d; body weight (BW) 99.8 ± 10.8 kg (mean ± SD)] were housed in a freestall barn, blocked by birth date, and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a randomized complete block design. Treatments were (1) 100 g of soybean meal carrier (control; CON); (2) 0.75 g of SB/kg of BW + carrier (SB); (3) 1 mg of MON/kg of BW + carrier (MON); (4) 1 mg of MON/kg of BW + 0.75 g of SB/kg of BW (MSB). Data were analyzed using single degree of freedom contrasts evaluating CON versus additives (ADD), SB versus MON, and SB and MON versus MSB. Treatments were hand-mixed daily. Feed and orts were measured daily and frozen at -20°C. Orts samples were subsampled for dry matter (DM) determination, and total mixed ration samples were taken weekly and composited monthly for DM and nutrient analysis. Initial BW, heart and paunch girths, body length, blood samples, and fecal coccidia counts were measured before the start and weekly during the 12-wk trial. Blood samples were analyzed for glucose, plasma urea nitrogen (PUN), and ketone concentrations. Apparent total-tract nutrient digestibility was determined from d 21 to 27 and from d 63 to 69 using acid detergent insoluble ash as a marker. Daily dry matter intake (DMI) and metabolizable energy intake were increased in ADD compared with CON, and average BW, final BW, and heart girth tended to increase. Whereas MSB tended to be greater than SB and MON for heart girth, feed efficiency was greater with MON compared with SB. Compared with CON, ADD decreased coccidia counts. No effect of treatment on PUN was detected. Monensin and SB tended to have greater plasma glucose than MSB did. Average blood ketone concentrations were greater with ADD versus CON, in SB versus MON, and in MSB versus SB and MON. During the wk-3 digestibility phase, DMI tended to be greater in heifers fed SB versus MON, as well as in heifers fed MSB versus SB and MON. Digestibility of nutrients were similar, except that starch digestibility was increased in heifers fed MSB versus SB and MON. During the wk-9 digestibility phase, DMI and digestibility of nutrients were similar, except NDF, which tended to be greater in CON than in ADD. Overall, ADD resulted in positive growth and reduced coccidia compared with CON.

Supplementation of sodium butyrate to postweaned heifer diets: Effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and health.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of varying levels of sodium butyrate (SB) supplementation in feed on the growth, digestibility, and health of postweaned heifers. Forty Holstein dairy heifers with a mean age of 84 d and average body weight (BW) of 100.9 ± 11.2 kg were housed in a naturally ventilated freestall barn. Heifers were blocked by birth date and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a completely randomized block design: (1) 100 g of soybean meal carrier (control), (2) 0.25 g of SB/kg of BW plus carrier, (3) 0.50 g of SB/kg of BW plus carrier, and (4) 0.75 g of SB/kg of BW plus carrier. Carrier with or without SB was top-dressed and hand-mixed into a total mixed ration once daily. Heifers were fed to provide 10% orts. Initial BW, hip and withers heights, heart girth, and body length were measured before the start of the study and every week thereafter until the 14-wk trial was over. Blood samples were obtained and plasma urea nitrogen, plasma glucose, and whole-blood ß-hydroxybutyrate concentrations were determined before the start of treatment and weekly thereafter until the conclusion of the study. Fecal samples were taken before treatment and every other week from each heifer for coccidia counts. Apparent total-tract nutrient digestibility was determined using acid detergent insoluble ash as an internal marker. Each heifer underwent this phase from d 47 until d 54 of the study. Sodium butyrate had a positive effect on average BW and overall BW gain. Feed efficiency tended to improve as SB supplementation increased. Coccidia counts were lowest in the treatment with 0.25 g of SB/kg of BW plus carrier. Sodium butyrate had no effects on skeletal growth or plasma urea nitrogen concentration. Blood glucose concentration decreased linearly and ß-hydroxybutyrate increased linearly with increasing levels of SB supplementation. Sodium butyrate supplementation did not affect apparent total-tract nutrient digestibility. Sodium butyrate supplementation offers positive results in the growth performance and feed efficiency of postweaned heifers.

Infusion of butyrate affects plasma glucose, butyrate, and ß-hydroxybutyrate but not plasma insulin in lactating dairy cows.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects on plasma metabolites and rumen traits when butyrate was infused into the rumen or abomasum of lactating cows. Jugular catheters were inserted into 5 ruminally fistulated Holstein cows [94.2 ± 26.3 DIM; 717 ± 45 kg of body weight (BW); mean ± SD] in a 5 × 5 Latin square with 3-d periods. Cows were infused for 24 h with 1 of 5 treatments: water (CON), 1 g/kg of BW of butyrate infused into either the abomasum (A1) or rumen (R1), or 2 g/kg of BW of butyrate infused into either the abomasum or rumen. Sodium butyrate was the source of butyrate and NaCl was added to the CON, A1, and R1 treatments to provide the same amount of sodium as supplied by the sodium butyrate treatment in the 2-g treatments. Plastisol flanges were inserted into the abomasum to allow infusion to the abomasum and peristaltic pumps provided continuous infusion at 9.3 mL/min for all treatments. The concentration of NaCl and sodium butyrate was varied in the infusate to provide the correct infusion amount. Rumen fluid samples were collected at -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, 24, 28, and 32 h relative to start of infusion. Serial blood samples were collected at -2, -1, 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, 24, 26, 28, and 32 h relative to start of infusion. Compared with CON, infusing butyrate increased both plasma butyrate and plasma ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), whereas plasma glucose decreased. Increasing butyrate infusion from 1 to 2 g increased plasma butyrate, tended to decrease plasma glucose, and tended to increase plasma BHB. Compared with abomasal infusion, rumen infusion of butyrate increased rumen butyrate, did not affect plasma glucose, and tended to increase plasma BHB. Treatment had no effect on plasma insulin. Results demonstrated that site of infusion and amount of butyrate affected several plasma metabolites when butyrate was infused in lactating dairy cows over a period of 24 h.

Single-dose infusion of sodium butyrate, but not lactose, increases plasma ß-hydroxybutyrate and insulin in lactating dairy cows.

Several studies have identified beneficial effects of butyrate on rumen development and intestinal health in preruminants. These encouraging findings led to further investigations related to butyrate supplementation in the mature ruminant. However, the effects of elevated butyrate concentrations on rumen metabolism have not been investigated, and consequently the maximum tolerable dosage rate of butyrate has not been established. Therefore, the first objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of a short-term increase in rumen butyrate concentration on key metabolic indicators. The second objective was to evaluate the source of butyrate, either directly dosed in the rumen or indirectly supplied via lactose fermentation in the rumen. Jugular catheters were inserted into 4 ruminally fistulated Holstein cows in a 4×4 Latin square with 3-d periods. On d 1 of each period, 1h after feeding, cows were ruminally dosed with 1 of 4 treatments: (1) 2L of water (CON), (2) 3.5g/kg of body weight (BW) of lactose (LAC), (3) 1g/kg of BW of butyrate (1GB), or (4) 2g/kg of BW of butyrate (2GB). Sodium butyrate was the source of butyrate, and NaCl was added to CON (1.34g/kg of BW), LAC (1.34g/kg of BW), and 1GB (0.67g/kg of BW) to provide equal amounts of sodium as the 2GB treatment. Serial plasma and rumen fluid samples were collected during d 1 of each period. Rumen fluid pH was greater in cows given the 1GB and 2GB treatments compared with the cows given the LAC treatment. Cows administered the 1GB and 2GB treatments had greater rumen butyrate concentrations compared with LAC. Those cows also had greater plasma butyrate concentrations compared with cows given the LAC treatment. Plasma ß-hydroxybutyrate was greater and insulin tended to be greater for butyrate treatments compared with LAC. No difference in insulin was found between the 1GB and 2GB treatments. Based on plasma and rumen metabolites, singly infusing 3.5g/kg of BW of lactose into the rumen is not as effective at providing a source of butyrate as compared with singly infusing 1 or 2g/kg of BW of butyrate into the rumen. Additionally, rumen pH, rumen butyrate, plasma ß-hydroxybutyrate, glucose, and plasma butyrate were less affected in cows administered the 1GB treatment than in cows given the 2GB treatment. This finding suggests that singly dosing 1g/kg of BW of butyrate could serve as the maximum tolerable concentration for future research.