Changes in saliva proteins in cows with mastitis: A proteomic approach.

This study aimed to evaluate the possible saliva proteome changes in cows with mastitis using a Tandem Mass Tags (TMT) proteomics approach. For this purpose, the salivary proteomes from healthy cows and cows with mastitis were analysed, and their serum proteomes were also studied for comparative purposes. A total of eight saliva and serum paired samples for each group were used for the proteomic study, and eight additional samples for each group were analysed in the analytical and overlap performance studies. In saliva samples, 2192 proteins were identified, being sixty-three differentially modulated in mastitis. In serum, 1299 proteins were identified, being twenty-nine differentially modulated in mastitis. Gamma glutamyl transferase (γGT) in saliva and serum amyloid A (SAA) were validated by commercially available automated assays. In conclusion, there are changes in protein expression and metabolic pathways in saliva and serum proteomes of cows with mastitis, showing different response patterns but complementary information.

The effectiveness of fibrolytic enzymes and active yeast on improving reticulorumen pH in dairy cows.

Exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (EFE) and yeast are feed supplements that improve forage digestion in rumen, but their influences on physical reticulorumen parameters are not well studied. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of the EFE:endo-ß-xylanase (37x104 U/cow/day), endocellulase (45x104 U/cow/day), endo-ß-glucanase (12x104U/cow/day), and active yeast - Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM-1077 (10x109CFU/cow/day) supplements on reticulorumen pH (RpH) and temperature (RT) in dairy cows. Nine Lithuanian Red cows were allocated into three groups (3 cows/group): control group (C) - farm diet without supplementation, enzyme group (E) - farm diet supplemented with EFE, enzyme and active yeast group (EY) - farm diet supplemented with EFE and active yeast. The feeding trial lasted for 60 d. All cows were equipped with reticuloruminal telemetric pH and temperature sensor device. Data provided by the device were used to calculate the mean RpH (RpH/24h), the mean minimal RpH (minRpH/24h) and mean of the time that RpH was below the threshold value of 6.0 (RpH⟨6.0/24h, min.). The highest RpH/24h (6.37±0.22) was observed in group EY and it was by 1.62% (p⟨0.05) and 1.27% (p⟨0.001) higher as compared with groups E and C, respectively. Also minRpH/24h (6.24±0.24) was highest in group EY and values were by 0.63% (p⟨0.001) and 0.65% (p⟨0.001) higher as compared with groups C and E, respectively. The shortest duration of RpH⟨6.0/24h, was recorded in group EY, and it was by 57.76% (p⟨0.05) and 47.87% shorter as compared with groups C and E, respectively. In conclusion, feed supplementation with EFE and Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM-1077 had beneficial effect on RpH.

Milk production and ruminal parameters of dairy cows fed diets containing Lactobacillus sakei KTU05-6 and Pediococcus pentosaceus BaltBio02.

Effects of fermented extruded rye flour supplements with Lactobacillus sakei KTU05-6 or Pediococcus pentosaceus BaltBio02 on milk production and composition, as well as ruminal parameters, were determined in Lithuanian Black & White dairy cows. Also, determination of antimicrobial activities of tested lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against a variety of pathogenic and opportunistic bacterial strains previously isolated from diseased cattle was performed. The highest antimicrobial activity was demonstrated in L. sakei against S. aureus, and in P. pentosaceus against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. The count of LAB in the supplements after 72 h of fermentation of extruded rye flour with L. sakei and P. pentosaceus was 9.6±0.4 log10 CFU/g and 9.5±0.3 log10 CFU/g, respectively. All cows (n=60) were fed the same basal diet. The treatment differences were achieved by individually incorporating (65 d.) one of the supplements: L. sakei KTU05-6 (group B; n=20) or P. pentosaceus BaltBio02 (group C; n=20). The control group A (n=20) was on the basal diet only. A supplement fermented with L. sakei does not have a significant influence on dairy cattle milk production and rumen fluid parameters. The type of LAB used has a significant influence (p⟨0.0001) on microbiological parameters of the rumen (TCM, TCL, TCE). The milk yield was increased (p≤0.05) using P. pentosaceus BaltBio02 supplement, and further research is needed to identify w hat is the main mechanism of the positive action.

Biochemical changes in saliva of cows with inflammation: A pilot study.

Saliva contains a variety of compounds that can change in local and systemic pathologies including inflammation. Although changes in acute phase proteins and markers of oxidative stress in saliva during inflammation in humans and different animal species have been described, no data exist about possible changes during inflammation in analytes in saliva of cows. The aim of the present study was to evaluate changes in selected salivary biomarkers of stress, inflammation and immune system, and oxidative stress in cows with inflammation. For this purpose, bovine mastitis was used as model. Saliva and serum from 18 clinically healthy cows and 18 cows with clinical mastitis were used in the study. A panel of analytes integrated by alpha-amylase, cortisol, haptoglobin, adenosine deaminase, cholinesterase, total antioxidant capacity, lactate, and uric acid was measured in all samples and differences between the two groups of animals were evaluated. Significant increases in cortisol, alpha-amylase, uric acid, lactate and significant decreases in cholinesterase were detected in saliva of cows with mastitis. These results indicate that that cows with mastitis show changes in salivary biomarkers that reflect presence of stress, inflammation and oxidative stress in the animals.

Concentration of lactoferrin and immunoglobulin G in cows' milk in relation to health status of the udder, lactation and season.

The aim of this study was to analyze an effect of udder health status, somatic cell count (SCC), stage and number of lactations, and different seasons on the concentration of lactoferrin (LF) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) in quarter milk samples (n=120) from crossbreed (Lithuanian Black-and-White & Holstein) dairy cows. Quarter health status was based on SCC and microbiological analysis. The highest mean value of LF and IgG were observed in quarters with subclinical mastitis 0.1 ± 0.02 mg/ml and 0.41 ± 0.06 mg/ml, respectively. Grouping the data according to SCC revealed increased LF (0.07 ± 0.01 mg/ml as against 0.06 ± 0.01 mg/ml) and IgG values (0.27 ± 0.05 mg/ml as against 0.23 ± 0.02 mg/ml) in DQ (SCC from 201,000 ≥ 401,000 cells/ml) compared to HQ (SCC up to 200,000 cells/ml). The milk LF and IgG levels were effected by stage of lactation (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively) and season of the year (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). Nevertheless, SCC and subsequent lactation (p>0.05) had no effect on these immunity components.