High Fiber Cakes from Mediterranean Multipurpose Oilseeds as Protein Sources for Ruminants.

Fifteen oilseed cakes from sunflower, pomegranate, cardoon, tobacco and hemp were characterized with regard to chemical composition, Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) fractionation, in vitro digestibility of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, and crude protein. All the cakes presented low moisture, rather variable ether extract contents and medium to high levels of crude protein and neutral detergent fiber. The cakes significantly differed in terms of CNCPS partitioning and in vitro digestibility. Tobacco and hemp cakes presented high contents of slow degradable fractions of crude protein and carbohydrate joined to good post-ruminal protein digestibility. Cardoon cakes presented the highest rumen protein degradability. Based on crude protein content and intestinal digestibility of rumen undegraded protein, cakes of tobacco and hemp showed the better potential as alternative protein supplements for ruminants, while pomegranate appears to be the least suitable for ruminant feeding.

Effect of rumen-protected nutrients on feed intake, body weights, milk yield, and composition in Murrah buffaloes during early lactation.

The effect of rumen-protected nutrients (bypass fat, BPF; bypass protein, BPP; or their combination, BPPF) was investigated in Murrah buffaloes during the early stage of lactation. Forty Murrah buffaloes (BW 531.92 ± 10.85 kg) just after parturition were randomly distributed into four groups according to parity and milk production. Buffaloes individually fed ration from day 0 to 90 postpartum according to feeding group and nutrient requirement. Control and BPF fed groups received a concentrate mixture, CM1 with 25% rumen-protected protein (using barley, wheat bran, and mustard oil cake), BPP and BPPF groups received a second concentrate mixture, CM2 with 40% rumen-protected protein (using barley, de-oiled rice bran, and cottonseed cake). Bypass fat fed groups (BPF and BPPF) additionally were supplemented with 15 g BPF (Ca salt of long-chain fatty acids) per kg milk yield in their respective concentrate mixtures. Dry matter intake, body weights, body condition score, and total milk yield were similar between groups (P > 0.05). Fat-corrected milk (FCM) production was improved (14.5%, P > 0.05) in groups fed BPP and BPPF, while significant (19.45%, P < 0.05) improvement was observed in BPF-fed group. Overall mean values of milk fat, solid not fat, protein, lactose, and total solids were found to be high (P < 0.05) in treatment groups as compared with control values. It may be concluded that supplementation with BPP or BPF either alone or in combination positively influences the quality of milk produced in Murrah buffaloes during early lactation and BPF additionally had improvement on the quantitative trait of milk as well.

Degradation of spent craft brewer's yeast by caprine rumen hyper ammonia-producing bacteria.

UNLABELLED: Spent yeast from craft beers often includes more hops (Humulus lupulus L.) secondary metabolites than traditional recipes. These compounds include α- and ß- acids, which are antimicrobial to the rumen hyper ammonia-producing bacteria (HAB) that are major contributors to amino acid degradation. The objective was to determine if the hops acids in spent craft brewer's yeast (CY; ~ 3·5 mg g(-1) hops acids) would protect it from degradation by caprine rumen bacteria and HAB when compared to a baker's yeast (BY; no hops acids). Cell suspensions were prepared by harvesting rumen fluid from fistulated goats, straining and differential centrifugation. The cells were re-suspended in media with BY or CY. After 24 h (39°C), HAB were enumerated and ammonia was measured. Fewer HAB and less ammonia was produced from CY than from BY. Pure culture experiments were conducted with Peptostreptococcus anaerobiusBG1 (caprine HAB). Ammonia production by BG1 from BY was greater than from CY. Ammonia production was greater when exogenous amino acids were included, but similar inhibition was observed in CY treatments. These results indicate that rumen micro-organisms deaminated the amino acids in CY to a lesser degree than BY. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Spent brewer's yeast has long been included in ruminant diets as a protein supplement. However, modern craft beers often include more hops (Humulus lupulus L.) than traditional recipes. These compounds include α- and ß- acids, which are antimicrobial to the rumen hyper ammonia-producing bacteria (HAB) that are major contributors to amino acid degradation. This study demonstrated that hops acids in spent craft brewer's yeast protected protein from destruction by HABin vitro. These results suggest that the spent yeast from craft breweries, a source of beneficial hops secondary metabolites, could have value as rumen-protected protein.

Estrategias par mejorar la condición corporal postparto en vacas d ccarne / Stratgies to impprove postpartum body condition in beef cattle

El objetivo de esta revisión es describir el efecto de estrategias nutricionales y de manejo sobre la condición corporal y el desempeño reproductivo de vacas de carne. Las vacas de carne experimentan un balance energético negativo durante el postparto, perdiendo condición corporal. El desarrollo folicular, la tasa de preñez, la fertilidad, los intervalos parto-primer estro, parto-concepción e intervalo entre partos son superiores en vacas con condición corporal moderada durante el postparto, comparadas con vacas delgadas. La suplementación con lípidos de cadena larga poliinsaturados permite obtener una reanudación de la ciclicidad ovárica temprana, independiente de su contribución energética. La suplementación con proteína ayuda a mantener o mejorar la condición corporal durante el postparto, optimiza el medio ambiente ruminal y la eficiencia digestiva de los animales. El destete precoz y el amamantamiento restringido se han venido utilizando en sistemas de cría extensivos, ya que la aplicación de este tipo de estrategias es relativamente fácil. Estas actividades tienen efecto sobre el eje hipotálamo-hipófisis-ovario y reducen los requerimientos energéticos de la madre derivados de la producción de leche, permitiendo mejorar la condición corporal y la reiniciación de la actividad ovárica, además de optimizar los resultados de tratamientos con progestágenos cuando son usados alternamente. En conclusión, una adecuada condición corporal postparto es esencial para garantizar el rendimiento reproductivo de vacas de carne. El uso de suplementación con lípidos y proteína durante el postparto mejora la condición corporal y optimiza el rendimiento reproductivo de vacas de carne. Estrategias de manejo como el destete precoz son efectivas, pero su uso se restringe solo cuando las fuentes nutricionales son escasas o la aplicación de estrategias nutricionales no es posible.

The aim of this review is to describe the effect of nutritional and management strategies on body condition and postpartum reproductive and productive performance in beef cattle. Beef cattle experience a negative energy balance during postpartum, losing body condition. Follicular development, pregnancy rate, fertility, intervals from labor-first estrus, labor-conception and labor interval are superior in cows with moderate body condition during postpartum compared to thin cows. Supplementation with long chain polyunsaturated lipids, allows earlier resumption of ovarian cyclicity, regardless their energetic contribution. Protein supplementation helps to maintain or improve body condition during postpartum, maximizing the ruminal environment and animal digestive efficiency. Early weaning and restricted sucking have been used in extensive breeding systems, since the implementation of such strategies is relatively easy. These activities have effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian and reduce milk production thus allowing the improvement of body condition and the restarting of ovarian activity, also optimizing the results of treatments with progestogens when they are used alternately. In conclusion, appropriate postpartum body condition is essential in order to ensure the reproductive performance of beef cattle. The use of lipid and protein supplementation during postpartum improves body condition and optimizes the reproductive performance of beef cattle. Management strategies such as early weaning are effective, but their use is restricted only when nutritional sources are scarce or the application of nutritional strategies is not possible.