Advertisement
Article| Volume 79, ISSUE 5, P851-861, May 1996

Download started.

Ok

Effects of the Ratio of Ruminal Propionate to Butyrate on Milk Yield and Blood Metabolites in Dairy Cows

  • Author Footnotes
    1 Present address: Kemira Chemicals Og, PO Box 330, SF-00101 Helsinki, Finland.
    Harri Miettinen
    Footnotes
    1 Present address: Kemira Chemicals Og, PO Box 330, SF-00101 Helsinki, Finland.
    Affiliations
    Valio Ltd., Farm Services, PO Box 390, SF-00101 Helsinki, Finland
    Search for articles by this author
  • Pekka Huhtanen
    Correspondence
    Corresponding author. Present address: Agricultural Research Centre, Institute of Animal Production, SF-31600 Jokioinen, Finland.
    Affiliations
    Department of Animal Science, PO Box 28, University of Helsinki, SF-00014 Helsinki, Finland
    Search for articles by this author
  • Author Footnotes
    1 Present address: Kemira Chemicals Og, PO Box 330, SF-00101 Helsinki, Finland.
      This paper is only available as a PDF. To read, Please Download here.

      Abstract

      Four Ayrshire cows (X¯=56DIM) were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design to study the effects of the ratio of propionate to butyrate in the rumen on milk yield, milk composition, and blood metabolites. The cows were fed a basal diet (16.2% CP, 43.4% NDF) consisting of 50% grass silage, 6% grass hay, and 44% concentrate (percentage of DM). The diet supplied 44 Mcal/d of metabolizable energy and was supplemented with isoenergetic infusions of VFA (4.5 Mcal/d). Propionate (900 g/d) was replaced gradually with 33, 67, and 100% of butyrate on an energy basis. Replacement of propionate with butyrate in the infusate decreased propionate and increased butyrate concentrations in ruminal fluid and in blood plasma. Yields of milk and lactose decreased, and yield of milk fat increased, as butyrate increased. Milk fat content increased, and lactose content decreased, as butyrate increased. Increased ruminal supply of butyrate decreased plasma glucose concentration and increased blood ketone body concentration. When only butyrate was infused (750 g/d), either liver metabolism was changed or tissue mobilization was increased, as indicated by the increased production of long-chain milk fatty acids and increased plasma concentrations of acetate, Gly, and branched-chain AA. An increase in ruminal butyrate supply at the expense of propionate adversely affected milk yield and the repartitioning of nutrients between milk components. At a high percentage, increased butyrate might also adversely affect the overall metabolism of the cow.

      Key words

      Abbreviation key:

      ACAC (acetoacetate), AIA (acid-insoluble ash), BCAA (branched-chain AA), ME (metabolizable energy)

      References

        • Aiello R.J.
        • Armentano L.E.
        • Bertics S.J.
        • Murphy A.T.
        Volatile fatty acid uptake and propionate metabolism in ruminant hepatocytes.
        J. Dairy Sci. 1989; 72: 942
        • Amaral-Phillips D.M.
        • McGilliard A.D.
        • Lindberg G.L.
        • Veenhuizen J.J.
        • Young J.W.
        Effects of decreased availability of glucose for dairy cows.
        J. Dairy Sci. 1993; 76: 752
        • Bergman E.N.
        Production and utilization of metabolites by the alimentary tract as measured in portal and hepatic blood.
        in: McDonald I.W. Warner A.C.I. Digestion and Metabolism in the Ruminant. Univ. New England Publ. Unit., Armidale, New South Wales, Australia1975: 292
        • Bergman E.N.
        Splanchnic and peripheral uptake of amino acids in relation to the gut.
        Fed. Proc. 1986; 45: 2277
        • Bergman E.N.
        • Heitmann R.N.
        Metabolism of amino acids by the gut, liver, kidneys and peripheral tissues.
        Fed. Proc. 1978; 37: 1228
        • Blauwiekel R.
        • Huhtanen P.
        • Saastamoinen I.
        Effect of fishmeal or barley protein and VFA infusions on milk yield and composition and blood metabolites.
        J. Dairy Sci. 1992; 75 (Abstr.): 199
        • Cant J.P.
        • DePeters E.J.
        • Baldwin R.L.
        Mammary uptake of energy metabolites in dairy cows fed fat and its relationship to milk protein depression.
        J. Dairy Sci. 1993; 76: 2254
        • deJong A.
        Patterns of plasma concentrations of insulin and glucagon after intravascular and intrarurmnal administra tion of volatile fatty acids in the goat.
        J. Endocrinol. 1982; 92: 357
        • Harmon D.L.
        Impact of nutrition on pancreatic exocrine and endocrine secretion in ruminants: a review.
        J. Anim. Sci. 1992; 70: 1290
        • Huhtanen P.
        The effect of dietary inclusion of barley, unmolassed sugar beet pulp and molasses on milk production, digestibility and digesta passage in dairy cows given silage based diet.
        J. Agric. Sci. Finl. 1987; 59: 101
        • Huhtanen P.
        The effects of barley, unmolassed sugarbeet pulp and molasses supplements on organic matter, nitro gen and fibre digestion in the rumen of cattle given a silage diet.
        Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 1988; 20: 259
        • Huhtanen P.
        Forage influences on milk composition..
        in: Proc. Nova Scotia Forage Conf., Seeding to Feeding, Nova Scotia Agric. College, NS, Canada1993: 144
        • Huhtanen P.
        The effects of concentrate energy source and protein content on milk production in cows given grass silage ad libitum.
        Grass Forage Sci. 1993; 48: 347
        • Huhtanen P.
        • Miettinen H.
        Milk production and concentrations of blood metabolites as influenced by the level of wet distiller's solubles in dairy cows receiving grass silage-based diet.
        Agric. Sci. Finl. 1992; 1: 279
        • Huhtanen P.
        • Miettinen H.
        • Ylinen M.
        Effect of increasing ruminal butyrate on milk yield and blood constituents in dairy cows fed a grass silage-based diet.
        J. Dairy Sci. 1993; 76: 1114
        • Huida L.
        Quantitative determination of volatile fatty acids by gas-liquid chromatography.
        J. Sci. Agric. Soc. Fini. 1973; 45: 483
        • Hurtaud C.
        • Rulquin H.
        • Verite R.
        Effect of infused volatile fatty acids and caseinate on milk composition and coagulation in dairy cows.
        J. Dairy Sci. 1993; 76: 3011
        • Jaakkola S.
        • Huhtanen P.
        The effects of forage preservation method and proportion of concentrate on nitrogen digestion and rumen fermentation in cattle.
        Grass Forage Sci. 1993; 48: 146
        • Krehbiel C.R.
        • Harmon D.L.
        • Schnieder J.E.
        Effect of increasing ruminal butyrate on portal and hepatic nutrient flux in steers.
        J. Anim. Sci. 1992; 70: 904
        • Laakso P.H.
        • Nurmela K.V.V.
        • Homer D.R.
        Composition of triglycerols of butterfat and its fractions.
        J. Agric. Food Chem. 1992; 40: 2472
        • MacRae J.C.
        • Buttery P.J.
        • Beever D.E.
        Nutrient, interactions in the dairy cow.
        in: Garnsworthy P.C. Nutrition and Lactation in the Dairy Cow. Butterworths, London, England1988: 55
        • Miettinen H.
        • Huhtanen P.
        The concentrations of blood metabolites and the relations between blood parameters, fatty acid composition of milk and estimated ME-balance in dairy cows given grass silage ad libitum with five different carbohydrate supplements.
        Acta Agric. Scand. 1989; 39: 319
        • Miller P.S.
        • Reis B.L.
        • Calvert C.C.
        • DePeters E.J.
        • Baldwin R.L.
        Patterns of nutrient uptake by the mammary glands of lactating dairy cows.
        J. Dairy Sci. 1991; 74: 3791
      1. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food. 1975. Energy allowances and feeding systems for ruminants. Page 79 in Tech. Bull. 33. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, London, England.

        • Moore J.H.
        • Christie W.W.
        Lipid metabolism in the mammary gland of ruminant animals..
        in: Christie W.W. Lipid Metabolism in Ruminant Animals. Perga-mon Press, Lancaster, England1981: 227
        • Palmquist D.L.
        • Beaulieu A.D.
        • Barbano D.M.
        Feed and animal factors influencing milk fat composition.
        J. Dairy Sci. 1993; 76: 1753
        • Reynolds C.K.
        • Huntington G.B.
        • Tyrell H.F.
        • Reynolds P.J.
        Net metabolism of volatile fatty acids, D-β-hydroxybutyrate, nonestenfied fatty acids, and blood gasses by portal-drained viscera and liver of lactating Holstein cows.
        J. Dairy Sci. 1988; 71: 2395
        • Reynolds C.K.
        • Tyrrell H.F.
        • Armentano L.E.
        Effects of mesenteric vein n-butyrate infusion on liver metabolism by beef steers.
        J. Anim. Sci. 1992; 70: 2250
        • Rooke J.A.F.
        • Balch C.C.
        The effects of intraruminal infusions of acetic, propionic and butyric acids on the yield and composition of the milk of the cow.
        Br. J. Nutr. 1961; 15: 361
        • Rooke J.A.
        • Balch C.C.
        • Johnson V.W.
        Further observations on the effects of intraruminal infusions of volatile fatty acids and lactic acid on the yield and composition of the milk of the cow.
        Br. J. Nutr. 1965; 19: 93
        • Sutton J.D.
        Digestion and end-product formation in the rumen from production ratios.
        in: Ruckebusch Y. Thivend P. Digestive Physiology and Metabolism in Ruminants. Proc. 5th Int. Symp. Ruminant Physiol., Clermont-Ferrand, France MTP Press Ltd., Lancaster, England1980: 271
        • Sutton J.D.
        Energy nutrition and metabolism of the lactating cow: digestion and absorption of energy substrates in the lactating cow.
        J. Dairy Sci. 1985; 68: 3376
        • Thomas C.
        • Aston K.
        • Daley S.R.
        • Bass J.
        Milk production from silage. 4. The effect of the composition of the supplement.
        Anim. Prod. 1986; 42: 315
        • Thomas P.C.
        • Chamberlain D.G.
        Manipulation of milk composition to meet marked needs.
        in: Haresign W.G. Cole D.J.A. Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition. Butterworths, London, England1984: 219
        • Udén P.
        • Colucci P.E.
        • VanSoest P.J.
        Investigation of chromium, cerium and cobalt as markers in digesta. Rate of passage studies.
        J. Sci. Food Agric. 1980; 31: 625
        • Van Keulen J.
        • Young B.A.
        Evaluation of acid-insoluble ash as a natural marker in ruminant digestibility studies.
        J. Anim. Sci. 1977; 44: 282
        • Weigand E.
        • Young J.W.
        • McGilliard A.D.
        Extent of butyrate metabolism in bovine ruminoreticulum and the relationship to absorption rate.
        J. Dairy Sci. 1972; 55: 589
        • Williams C.H.
        • David D.J.
        • Riismaa O.
        The determination of chromic oxide in faeces samples by atomic absorption spectrometry.
        J. Agric. Sci. (Camb.). 1962; 59: 381