Effects of ruminal administration of soy sauce oil on functional fatty acids in the rumen, blood and milk of dairy cows.

OBJECTIVE: Soy sauce oil, a byproduct of whole soybean processing by the soy sauce industry, was evaluated as a source of linoleic acid for dairy cows for the purpose of manipulating the composition of milk. METHODS: Eight dairy Holstein cows fitted with rumen cannulas were used for ruminal administration of soy sauce oil for a 28-day period using a 4×4 Latin square study design with 4 doses (0, 200, 400, and 600 g soy sauce oil/d). RESULTS: Although dry matter intake and milk yield were not affected by soy sauce oil administration, ruminal concentrations of total volatile fatty acids and acetate were decreased, specifically at 600 g/d administration. While milk fat percentage was decreased with administration of soy sauce oil, proportions of linoleic, vaccenic and conjugated linoleic acids in the rumen, blood and milk were increased with increasing soy sauce oil dose. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that soy sauce oil feeding could be useful for improving milk functionality without adverse effects on animal production performance when fed at less than 400 g/d.

Effect of ruminal administration of soy sauce oil on rumen fermentation, milk production and blood parameters in dairy cows.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate soy sauce oil (a by-product of making whole soybean soy sauce) as a new dietary lipid source, a large amount of soy sauce oil was administered into the rumen of dairy cows. METHODS: Four Holstein dairy cows fitted with rumen cannulae were used in a 56-day experiment. Ruminal administration of soy sauce oil (1 kg/d) was carried out for 42 days from day 8 to day 49 to monitor nutritional, physiological and production responses. RESULTS: Dry matter intake and milk yield were not affected by soy sauce oil administration, whereas 4% fat-corrected milk yield and the percentage of milk fat decreased. Although ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acids (VFA) and the proportion of individual VFA were partially affected by administration of soy sauce oil, values were within normal ranges, showing no apparent inhibition in rumen fermentation. Administration of soy sauce oil decreased the proportions of milk fatty acids with a carbon chain length of less than 18, and increased the proportions of stearic, oleic, vaccenic and conjugated linoleic acids. Conjugated linoleic acid content in milk became 5.9 to 8.8 times higher with soy sauce oil administration. Blood serum concentrations of non-esterified fatty acid, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, total cholesterol, free cholesterol, esterified cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipid increased with administration of soy sauce oil, suggesting a higher energy status of the experimental cows. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that soy sauce oil could be a useful supplement to potentially improve milk functionality without adverse effects on ruminal fermentation and animal health. More detailed analysis is necessary to optimize the supplementation level of this new lipid source in feeding trials.

Effects of an increased concentrate diet on rumen pH and the bacterial community in Japanese Black beef cattle at different fattening stages.

This study evaluated the effects of increasing the proportion of concentrate in the diet on the rumen pH and bacterial community in Japanese Black beef cattle at different fattening stages. Six rumen-cannulated beef cattle were studied in the middle (Mid group, n=3, age 21-22 months) and late (Late group, n=3, age 31 months) fattening stages. The cattle were fed rice straw with control (CON period) or high-concentrate (HC period) diets for 14 consecutive days in each period. Rumen pH was measured continuously and the rumen fluids were collected on the last day of each period. The 24-hr mean and minimum rumen pH in the Mid group were significantly (P<0.05) lower during the HC period compared with the CON period, whereas those in the Late group were continuously low during both periods. In the Late group, the ruminal volatile fatty acid and lactic acid concentrations were significantly (P<0.05) higher during the HC period. During the HC period, the proportions of Prevotella and Caloramator were significantly (P<0.05) higher and lower, respectively, in the Mid group. From these findings, significant changes in the rumen pH and bacterial community induced by dietary changes were mainly observed in the Mid group. Therefore, the ruminal fermentative function in response to a higher concentrate diet might adapt differently in Japanese Black beef cattle at the two different fattening stages.

Effects at early stage of life of elevated milk replacer feeding on growth rate, plasma IGF-I concentration and intestinal nutrient transporter expression in Holstein bull calves.

In order to evaluate the effects of an elevated amount of modified milk replacer on body weight, daily gain, starter intake, plasma endocrine parameters and expression of nutrient transporters in small intestinal epithelia, Holstein bull calves (n=24) were fed for 60days either with the usual amount of 24% crude protein (CP) and 20% fat milk (CF) replacer (C group), or with a double amount of a modified milk replacer of 28% CP and 16% CF (E group). Body weight from D20 to D60 and daily gain before D40 was greater or tended to be greater for the E group than the C group. Plasma concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) and insulin were greater for the E group than the C group on D28 but not on D56, without changing plasma growth hormone levels. Gene expression for sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 and fatty acid translocase (CD36) was altered in day- and intestine-dependent manners. From these findings, we conclude that an elevated intake of milk replacer given up to 40days old is sufficient to enhance body weight, which may be associated with increased plasma IGF-I concentrations, in Holstein bulls.

Fermentation metabolites from Lactobacillus gasseri and Propionibacterium freudenreichii exert bacteriocidal effects in mice.

Lactobacillus gasseri OLL 2716 promotes the elimination of Helicobacter pylori and is utilized in yogurts that are specifically labeled as health foods. On the other hand, milk whey fermented by Propionibacterium freudenreichii ET-3, which increases the numbers of Bifidobacterium, is effective for intestinal disorders. We previously demonstrated that oral administration of L. gasseri and P. freudenreichii fermentation metabolites (LP-FM) improved calf intestinal microflora and reduced the incidence of diarrhea. However, the detailed immunological mechanisms responsible for these effects remain to be fully understood. In this study, we investigated whether LP-FM stimulates the innate immune response and promotes the elimination of Listeria monocytogenes in mice. The C57BL/6 female mice that were treated with LP-FM or L. gasseri fermentation metabolites alone for 4 weeks had more peripheral white blood cells than the untreated control mice. In particular, LP-FM-treated mice had higher CD4- and CD8-positive T-cell counts. The levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species produced by peritoneal macrophages were also higher in LP-FM-treated mice. Furthermore, LP-FM-treated mice that were infected with L. monocytogenes exhibited significant enhancement of the elimination of Listeria from the spleen and the liver in comparison with untreated control mice infected with Listeria. The activation of innate immunity by LP-FM was increased by the combination of fermentation metabolites from P. freudenreichii. These results suggest that LP-FM, which contains metabolites from L. gasseri and P. freudenreichii, stimulates the function of the innate immune system, thereby significantly promoting the elimination of L. monocytogenes in mice.

The effect of experimental inhibition of gastric acid secretion on curd formation in abomasum and weight gain of calves.

Eight Holstein bull calves were divided into two groups; a non-treated control group and a famotidine treated group. Fresh milk was fed twice a day. The experiment was conducted between 7 and 14 days of age. During the experimental period the control group was injected with physiological saline, and the famotidine group was injected with famotidine, a histamine-H2-receptor blocker, into the jugular vein 30 minutes prior to each feeding. The control group showed maximum curd formation 2 h after feeding at both 7 and 14 days of age. Curd scores of 7-day-old and 14-day-old calves were significantly lower in the famotidine than in the control group at 2 and 4 h after feeding. Most fecal samples from the famotidine group exhibited an acidic smell. The famotidine group showed significantly lower values for both average weight gain and the rate of weight gain from 7 to 14 days of age. The inhibition of gastric acid secretion decreased curd formation in the abomasum as well as daily weight gain compared to non-treated control calves. This suggested that curd formation in the abomasum is important for the weight gain of newborn calves.

Roles of His9 (P2 subsite) and His13 (P3' subsite) in angiotensinogen for catalytic reaction of renin.

Roles of His9 (P2) and His13 (P3') of angiotensinogen for the catalytic reaction of renin were investigated using purified recombinant ovine angiotensinogen and its mutants H9Q and H13Q. The pH depended reaction of human renin with angiotensinogens of wild-type, H9Q and H13Q showed peaks at pH 6.5 and 8.5, but the altitude of each peak was different. The Vmax of the reaction between H9Q and H13Q with human renin was decreased by about 50 and 70%, respectively, in comparison to wild-type angiotensinogen, at pH 6.5. At pH 8.5, the Vmax of H9Q and H13Q was 50 and 100% of that of wild-type, respectively. At pH 6.5, it was revealed that the catalytic efficiency of renin (Vmax/Km) reduced to 20 and 60% after mutation of angiotensinogen at His9 and His13 with Gln, respectively. At pH 8.5, the catalytic efficiency decreased to 10 and 70% after these mutations, respectively. These findings, therefore, indicate that histidine residues at both P2 and P3' positions probably associate with the renin catalytic reaction for angiotensin I generation.