Masaaki Hanada

Short communication: effect of difructose anhydride III on serum immunoglobulin G concentration in newborn calves.

Difructose anhydride (DFA) III is an indigestible disaccharide that promotes paracellular absorption of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals in the intestine by acting on epithelial tight junctions. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of DFA III on serum IgG concentration. One hundred and twenty Holstein and Holstein/Japanese Black crossbred calves were randomly divided into 4 groups of 30 to receive untreated colostrum (DFA0) or colostrum containing 3, 6, or 18 g of DFA III (DFA3, DFA6, or DFA18, respectively). At 24 h after birth, both serum IgG (ranging from 16.4 to 21.2 mg/mL) and apparent efficiency of absorption (26.0 to 37.2%) showed increases with the amount of DFA III intake. By multiple regression analysis, the standardized partial regression coefficient for DFA III was 0.25, the second highest following that for the colostrum IgG concentration (0.80), indicating a positive effect of DFA III on serum IgG. A positive linear regression was found between colostrum IgG and serum IgG concentrations at 24h of age. These results indicate that IgG absorption occurred as a nonsaturable process, which might be characteristic of gradient-dependent paracellular transport. Thus, it was concluded that DFA III improves not only minerals but IgG absorption in calves.

Supplementation with difructose anhydride III promotes passive calcium absorption in the small intestine immediately after calving in dairy cows.

The incidence of hypocalcemia increases in high-parity dairy cows because resorption of bone Ca is delayed in these animals, and they appear to have a reduced ability to absorb Ca from the intestine during the early postpartum period. Difructose anhydride (DFA) III has been shown to promote the absorption of intestinal Ca via a paracellular pathway. However, past studies have not reported this effect in peripartum dairy cows. Therefore, we investigated the effect of DFA III supplementation on Ca metabolism during the peripartum period to determine whether DFA III promotes intestinal Ca absorption via this route. Seventy-four multiparous Holstein cows were separated into DFA and control groups based on their parity and body weight. The feed of the DFA group was supplemented with 40g/d of DFA III from -14 to 6d relative to calving. The control group did not receive DFA III. At calving (0h relative to calving), serum Ca declined below 9mg/dL in both groups. However, serum Ca concentrations were greater in the DFA group than in the control group at 6, 12, 24, and 48h relative to calving, and the time required for serum Ca to recover to 9mg/dL during the postpartum period was shorter in the high-parity cows in the DFA group than in those in the control group. Parathyroid hormone concentrations increased immediately after calving in both groups and were greater in the control group than in the DFA group at 12 and 24h relative to calving. Serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations increased at 0 and 12h relative to calving in both groups and were higher in the control group than in the DFA group at 72h relative to calving. Serum concentrations of the bone-resorption marker cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX) were not different between the groups during peripartum period, and serum NTX in all cows was lower at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72h relative to calving than at -21, 4, and 5d relative to calving. Thus, DFA treatment induced faster recovery of serum Ca, although bone resorption was restrained. In conclusion, DFA III promotes intestinal passive Ca absorption via the paracellular pathway during the early postpartum period; this absorption is unaffected by aging.

Short communication: Difructose anhydride III promotes calcium absorption from the duodenum in cattle

Difructose anhydride (DFA) III promotes the intestinal absorption of calcium via a paracellular pathway in rats. In dairy cows, DFA III reaches the duodenum without being degraded by ruminal bacteria and hence could be used to control hypocalcemia. The aims of the present study were to investigate the percentage of DFA III that appears in the duodenum of cows and to determine the effect of DFA III on calcium absorption from duodenal fluid. The first experiment was performed in 3 ruminally and duodenally cannulated dry Holstein cows in a 3 × 3 Latin square design. Each experimental period lasted 7 d. On the first day, the cows were ruminally fed one of the following treatments: 0 (DFA0), 50 (DFA50), or 100 (DFA100) g/d of DFA III, using cobalt-EDTA as a liquid phase marker. Difructose anhydride III was detected in duodenal fluid 1 h after feeding, and its concentration peaked 4 h after feeding, in a dose-dependent manner. The percentages of DFA III that appeared in the duodenum after the DFA50 and DFA100 treatments were 69.1 ± 7.0% and 67.9 ± 5.6%, respectively. The second experiment used the everted duodenal sacs of cattle (n = 7 in each group). Sacs were incubated in artificial mucosal fluid containing 1 mM DFA III or no DFA III (control) for 60 min with 100% O2 in a water bath at 37 °C. After incubation, the calcium concentration of the artificial serosal fluid in the everted sacs was measured. Calcium absorption was higher in the DFA III-treated group than in the control group (803 ± 161 and 456 ± 74 nmol/cm of sac, respectively). The above results demonstrate that approximately 70% of administered DFA III reached the duodenum of cows intact. Moreover, similar to its effects on calcium absorption in rats, DFA III promoted calcium absorption via a paracellular pathway in the duodenum of cows.

Effect of difructose anhydride III supplementation on passive immunoglobulin G transfer and serum immunoglobulin G concentration in newborn Holstein calves fed pooled colostrum

Difructose anhydride (DFA) III acts on intestinal epithelial tight junctions and promotes calcium absorption through the paracellular pathway in dairy cows. This trial was done to investigate the effects of DFA III supplementation on passive IgG transfer and serum IgG concentration in calves. Twenty-four newborn Holstein male calves were grouped as 12 pairs, with each pair receiving a separate batch of pooled colostrum (PC) from the first 2 milkings. One calf from each pair was allocated to the treatment group (n=12) and received 18g of DFA III in each feeding; the other calf was assigned to the control group (n=12) and did not receive DFA III. All calves were fed 2 L of PC per feeding at 1, 10, and 24 h after birth. Prefeeding blood samples taken at 0 h, 10 h, 24 h, 36 h, 4 d, and 7 d were analyzed for serum IgG concentration. Apparent efficiency of IgG absorption in the treatment group was higher compared to that in the control group. Serum IgG concentration of calves in the treatment group was higher for all sampling time points except for 0 h of age. Mean serum IgG concentrations in the treatment and control groups at 36 h of age were 22.3 and 17.7 g/L, respectively. Serum IgG concentration at 36 h of age was positively related with the IgG concentration in the PC in both groups, and it was higher in the treatment group than in the control group at the same IgG concentration in the PC. These results indicate that absorption of ingested IgG by endocytosis as well as a nonselected concentration gradient process of the paracellular pathway of the intestinal epithelium could be enhanced by DFA III supplementation. Supplementation of DFA III in PC containing various IgG concentrations could improve IgG absorption as well as calf serum IgG concentration.

Effects of difructose anhydride III on serum immunoglobulin G concentration and health status of newborn Holstein calves during the preweaning period

This experiment was performed to investigate the effects of increases in passively acquired immunoglobulin G (IgG) by difructose anhydride (DFA) III supplementation on subsequent serum IgG concentration and health status in calves during the preweaning period. Thirty newborn female Holstein calves were paired by birth order, and 2 calves in each pair were fed 2 L of the same batch of colostrum within 2 h and at 10 h after birth, and followed by 2 L of the same batch of pooled colostrum at 20 h after birth. One calf from each pair was assigned to the control (n = 15) or treatment (n = 15) group. All calves in the treatment group received 18 g of DFA III at each feeding from birth to 7 d of age, whereas calves in the control group did not receive DFA III. Blood samples were collected before feeding at 0, 10, 20, and 36 h, and 4 and 7 d of age, and sampling was repeated at 7-d intervals thereafter until 49 d of age for serum IgG analysis. Calves were monitored daily for diarrhea and respiratory diseases. Serum IgG concentrations peaked at 36 h of age in both groups. Apparent efficiency of IgG absorption and peak serum IgG concentration were higher in the treatment group than in the control group. Using multiple regression analysis, we showed that peak serum IgG concentration in the newborn calves was positively correlated with colostral IgG concentration and DFA III supplementation. Moreover, peak serum IgG concentration (36 h of age) positively influenced subsequent serum IgG concentration until 35 d of age for all calves in both groups. The treatment group had higher serum IgG concentration from 20 h to 21 d of age than the control group. However, we detected no differences between the groups in number of calves with diarrhea or respiratory disease.

Short communication: Serum osteoprotegerin concentrations in periparturient dairy cows

Dairy cows experience hypocalcemia at the onset of lactation; however, the contribution of bone metabolism to circulating Ca concentrations during the periparturient period is not well understood. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) protects against loss of skeletal mass by regulating osteoclastogenesis. We previously reported that the bone resorption increased around parturition in dairy cows from the perspective of bone markers in blood. The aim of this study was to explore osteoclastic bone resorption in periparturient dairy cows by measuring changes in serum OPG concentrations around calving. The OPG concentrations were evaluated in primiparous (n = 9) and multiparous (n = 9) cows at 21 d precalving and over 5 d after calving. Based on mixed model analyses, the multiparous cows had a higher serum OPG concentration than primiparous cows at precalving and exhibited a significant decline in serum OPG and Ca concentrations after calving. In contrast to multiparous cows, primiparous cows did not exhibit these changes. Therefore, we hypothesized that multiparous cows preserve their bone mineral content during late pregnancy and activate the osteoclastic bone resorption after calving. Based on our serum OPG data, we identified the different periparturient osteoclastic bone resorption patterns in healthy primiparous and multiparous dairy cows.

Effect of substituting soybean meal with euglena (Euglena gracilis) on methane emission and nitrogen efficiency in sheep

Abstract This study evaluated methane (CH 4) emission, intake, digestibility, and nitrogen efficiency in sheep fed diets containing replacement levels (0%, 33%, 50%, and 67% of soybean meal with euglena). In this experiment, four Corriedale wether sheep with an initial body weight of 53.8 ± 4.6 were arranged in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. This experiment lasted 84 days, divided into four experimental periods. Each period lasted 21 days, which consists of 14 days of adaptation to the diets, 5 days to collect samples, and 2 days to collect gas emission from sheep. Methane emission expressed as L/kg DM intake or g/kg DM intake reduced by up to 37% and the energy loss via CH 4 (% of GE intake) reduced by up to 34%. No differences (p > 0.05) were observed in DM and OM intake and whole tract apparent DM digestibility due to substitution of soybean meal with euglena. The total CP loss reduced significantly (linear, p < 0.001) and CP efficiency increased linearly (p = 0.03) with increasing concentration of euglena. As a result, nitrogen balance and average daily weight gain remained unchanged despite higher nitrogen concentration in soybean supplemented group. In conclusion, substitution of soybean meal with euglena reduced methane emission without affecting the performance of animals.

Changes of Serum Calcium Concentration, Frequency of Ruminal Contraction and Feed Intake Soon after Parturition of Dairy Cows Fed Difructose Anhydride III

Requirements to control the large decrease in serum calcium (Ca) due to parturition and to increase the feed intake soon after parturition have been well accepted in dairy cows. This study was aimed to investigate the feed intake affected by serum Ca concentration with difructose anhydride (DFA) III supplement in dairy cows soon after parturition. Fourteen transition Holstein cows were divided into DFA and control (CONT) groups within 1 to 5 parity variations in each group. Measurement schedule for an individual cow was from 14 d before parturition to 7 d following parturition. The cows in DFA group were supplied 0.2 kg/head/d of DFA III feed containing 40 g of pure DFA III while the cows in CONT group received no DFA III. Other feeding procedures were the same for all cows in both groups. At parturition (d 0), serum Ca concentration sharply declined in both groups (p<0.05). Time interval for recovery from decreased serum Ca to its normal range (>9.0 mg/dL) tended to be faster in DFA group (12 h) than in the CONT group (48 h), but the differences were not significant. Active ruminal contraction was observed in DFA group at following parturition of d 1 (p<0.05), d 3 (p<0.05), and d 5 (p<0.01). Dry matter (DM) intake did not differ between the groups. However, positive correlations were observed between serum Ca concentration and ruminal contraction (p<0.001), and between ruminal contraction and DM intake (p<0.001) during following parturition. According to multiple regression analysis (R2 = 0.824, p<0.001), the DM intake was positively affected by serum Ca concentration and ruminal contraction. These results suggest that feed intake soon after parturition in dairy cows can be increased by improvement of serum Ca concentration and active ruminal contraction, but DFA III supplementation in this study did not improve the lower serum Ca concentration due to parturition.

Effect of dietary fermented fish waste on the digestion of feed and supply of unsaturated fatty acids including conjugated linoleic acid in cattles

Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of fermented fish waste (FW) on the digestion of fiber and the flow of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) to the duodenum and plasma in cattle. Four Holstein cows were used in a 4×4 Latin square design and cows were provided with one of four treatments consisting 0, 5.5, 11, and 16.5% of FW. The digestion of dry matter decreased as the FW increased; however, the lipid concentration increased linearly (P<0.05) as the FW increased. According to the duodenal composition, the lipid concentration and UFA such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), arachidonic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) increased linearly (P<0.05) as the amount of FW increased in the diet. Additionally, the concentration of CLA, eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA increased linearly (P<0.05) in the plasma as the FW increased. Thus, these findings indicate that FW can be useful as UFA supplementation of feedstuff.