Effect of a Low-Methane Diet on Performance and Microbiome in Lactating Dairy Cows Accounting for Individual Pre-Trial Methane Emissions.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Chagas JC
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8468840 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Direct-fed microbials (DFM) are considered as a promising technique to improve animal productivity without affecting animal health or harming the environment. The potential of three bacterial DFM to reduce methane (CH4) emissions, modulate ruminal fermentation, milk production and composition of primiparous dairy cows was examined in this study. As previous reports have shown that DFM respond differently to different diets, two contrasting diets were used in this study. Eight lactating primiparous cows were randomly divided into two groups that were fed a corn silage-based, high-starch diet (HSD) or a grass silage-based, high-fiber diet (HFD). Cows in each dietary group were randomly assigned to four treatments in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The bacterial DFM used were selected for their proven CH4-reducing effect in vitro. Treatments included control (without DFM) and 3 DFM treatments: Propionibacterium freudenreichii 53-W (2.9 × 1010 colony forming units (CFU)/cow per day), Lactobacillus pentosus D31 (3.6 × 1011 CFU/cow per day) and Lactobacillus bulgaricus D1 (4.6 × 1010 CFU/cow per day). Each experimental period included 4 weeks of treatment and 1 week of wash-out, with measures performed in the fourth week of the treatment period. Enteric CH4 emissions were measured during 3 consecutive days using respiration chambers. Rumen samples were collected for ruminal fermentation parameters and quantitative microbial analyses. Milk samples were collected for composition analysis. Body weight of cows were recorded at the end of each treatment period. Irrespective of diet, no mitigating effect of DFM was observed on CH4 emissions in dairy cows. In contrast, Propionibacterium increased CH4 intensity by 27% (g CH4/kg milk) in cows fed HSD. There was no effect of DFM on other fermentation parameters and on bacterial, archaeal and protozoal numbers. Similarly, the effect of DFM on milk fatty acid composition was negligible. Propionibacterium and L. pentosus DFM tended to increase body weight gain with HSD. We conclude that, contrary to the effect previously observed in vitro, bacterial DFM Propionibacterium freudenreichii 53-W, Lactobacillus pentosus D31 and Lactobacillus bulgaricus D1 did not alter ruminal fermentation and failed to reduce CH4 emissions in lactating primiparous cows fed high-starch or high-fiber diets.
| S-EPMC6495644 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Cattle and other ruminants produce large quantities of methane (~110 million metric tonnes per annum), which is a potent greenhouse gas affecting global climate change. Methane (CH4) is a natural by-product of gastro-enteric microbial fermentation of feedstuffs in the rumen and contributes to 6% of total CH4 emissions from anthropogenic-related sources. The extent to which the host genome and rumen microbiome influence CH4 emission is not yet well known. This study confirms individual variation in CH4 production was influenced by individual host (cow) genotype, as well as the host's rumen microbiome composition. Abundance of a small proportion of bacteria and archaea taxa were influenced to a limited extent by the host's genotype and certain taxa were associated with CH4 emissions. However, the cumulative effect of all bacteria and archaea on CH4 production was 13%, the host genetics (heritability) was 21% and the two are largely independent. This study demonstrates variation in CH4 emission is likely not modulated through cow genetic effects on the rumen microbiome. Therefore, the rumen microbiome and cow genome could be targeted independently, by breeding low methane-emitting cows and in parallel, by investigating possible strategies that target changes in the rumen microbiome to reduce CH4 emissions in the cattle industry.
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Project description:ObjectivePortable laser methane detectors (LMDs) may be an economical means of estimating CH4 emissions from ruminants. We validated an LMD-based approach and then used that approach to evaluate CH4 emissions from indigenous dairy cows in a dryland area of Ethiopia.MethodsFirst, we validated our LMD-based approach in Simmental crossbred beef cattle (n = 2) housed in respiration chambers and fed either a high- or low-concentrate diet. From the results of the validation, we constructed an estimation equation to determine CH4 emissions from LMD CH4 concentrations. Next, we used our validated LMD approach to examine CH4 emissions in Fogera dairy cows grazed for 8 h/d (GG, n = 4), fed indoors on natural-grassland hay (CG1, n = 4), or fed indoors on Napier-grass (Pennisetum purpureum) hay (CG2, n = 4). All the cows were supplemented with concentrate feed.ResultsThe exhaled CH4 concentrations measured by LMD were linearly correlated with the CH4 emissions determined by infrared-absorption-based gas analyzer (r2 = 0.55). The estimation equation used to determine CH4 emissions (y, mg/min) from LMD CH4 concentrations (x, ppm m) was y = 0.4259x+38.61. Daily CH4 emissions of Fogera cows estimated by using the equation did not differ among the three groups; however, a numerically greater milk yield was obtained from the CG2 cows than from the GG cows, suggesting that Napiergrass hay might be better than natural-grassland hay for indoor feeding. The CG1 cows had higher CH4 emissions per feed intake than the other groups, without significant increases in milk yield and body-weight gain, suggesting that natural-grassland hay cannot be recommended for indoor-fed cows.ConclusionThese findings demonstrate the potential of using LMDs to valuate feeding regimens rapidly and economically for dairy cows in areas under financial constraint, while taking CH4 emissions into consideration.
| S-EPMC8255885 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The aim of this study was to develop prediction equations for methane (CH4 ) emissions from lactating cows using the CH4 /carbon dioxide (CO2 ) ratio in the breath measured in the automatic milking system (AMS) and to evaluate the predicted values and factors affecting the CH4 /CO2 ratio. The model development was conducted using a dataset determined in respiration chambers or head boxes (n = 121). Then, gas measurements in the AMS as well as in the head box were carried out with six lactating cows fed one of three different levels of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content, following a 3 × 3 Latin square experimental design. The obtained equation that is suitable for practical use on farms to predict CH4 was CH4 (L/day) = -507 + 0.536 live weight (kg) + 8.76 energy-corrected milk (kg/day) + 5,029 CH4 /CO2 (adjusted R2 = 0.83; root mean square error = 40.8 L/day). Results showed that the predicted values correlated positively with the observed values, the determined CH4 /CO2 ratio increased with increasing dietary NDF content, and the detected eructation rate was in the normal range. On the other hand, the CH4 /CO2 ratio was affected by the time interval between measurement and last eating before the measurement.
| S-EPMC9285552 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThis study investigated greenhouse gas (GHG) emission characteristics of lactating Holstein dairy cows in East China and provided a basis for formulating GHG emission reduction measures. GreenFeed system was used to measure the amount of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by the cows through respiration. Data from a commercial cow farm were used to observe the effects of parity, body weight, milk yield, and milk component yield on CH4 and CO2 emissions.ResultsMean herd responses throughout the study were as follows: 111 cows completed all experimental processes, while 42 cows were rejected because they were sick or had not visited the GreenFeed system 20 times. On average, lactating days of cows was 138 ± 19.04 d, metabolic weight was 136.5 ± 9.5 kg, parity was 2.8 ± 1.0, dry matter intake (DMI) was 23.1 ± 2.6 kg/d, and milk yield was 38.1 ± 6.9 kg/d. The GreenFeed system revealed that CH4 production (expressed in CO2 equivalent, CO2-eq) was found to be 8304 g/d, [Formula: see text]/DMI was 359 g/kg, [Formula: see text]/energy-corrected milk (ECM) was 229.5 g/kg, total CO2 production (CH4 production plus CO2 production) was 19,201 g/d, total CO2/DMI was 831 g/kg, and total CO2/ECM was 531 g/kg. The parity and metabolic weight of cows had no significant effect on total CO2 emissions (P > 0.05). Cows with high milk yield, milk fat yield, milk protein yield, and total milk solids yield produced more total CO2 (P < 0.05), but their total CO2 production per kg of ECM was low (P < 0.05). The total CO2/ECM of the medium and high milk yield groups was 17% and 27% lower than that of the low milk yield group, respectively.ConclusionsThe parity and body condition had no effect on total CO2 emissions, while the total CO2/ECM was negatively correlated with milk yield, milk fat yield, milk protein yield, and total milk solids yield in lactating Holstein dairy cows. Measurement of total CO2 emissions of dairy cows in the Chinese production system will help establish regional or national GHG inventories and develop mitigation approaches to dairy production regimes.
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Project description:Infections of the cow udder leading to mastitis and reducing milk quality are a critical challenge facing all dairy farmers. Mastitis may be linked to the ecological disruption of an endogenous mammary microbial community, suggesting an ecosystems approach to management and prevention of this disease. The teat end skin represents a first point of host contact with mastitis pathogens and may offer an opportunity for microbially mediated resistance to infection, yet we know little about the microbial community of teat end skin or its potential interaction with the microbial community of intramammary milk of organic dairy cattle. High-throughput sequencing of marker genes for bacterial and fungal communities was used to characterize the skin and milk microbiome of cows with both a healthy and infected gland (i.e., udder quarter) and to assess the sharing of microbial DNA between these tissue habitat sites. The mammary microbiome varied among cows, through time, and between skin and milk. Microbiomes of milk from healthy and infected quarters reflected a diverse group of microbial DNA sequences, though milk had far fewer operational taxonomic units (OTUs) than skin. Milk microbiomes of infected quarters were generally more variable than healthy quarters and were frequently dominated by a single OTU; teat end skin microbiomes were relatively similar between healthy and infected quarters. Commonly occurring genera that were shared between skin and milk of infected glands included Staphylococcus spp. bacteria and Debaryomyces spp. fungi. Commonly occurring genera that were shared between skin and milk of healthy glands included bacteria SMB53 (Clostridiaceae) and Penicillium spp. fungi. Results support an ecological interpretation of the mammary gland and the notion that mastitis can be described as a dysbiosis, an imbalance of the healthy mammary gland microbiome.
| S-EPMC6855453 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Growth hormone (GH) has a well established galactopoietic effect on ruminant lactation, however the molecular mechanisms that mediate these effects are not fully understood. This study aimed to define the effects of GH on the production of milk protein by the bovine mammary gland and to establish the potential molecular mechanisms mediating these effects. Elevated levels of GH increased milk yield with corresponding increases in protein, fat and lactose yield, while milk composition remained unaffected by treatment. Increased yield (but not concentration) of all the individual milk proteins was not accompanied by changes in the levels of the milk protein transcripts, with the exception of S2-casein, suggesting post-transcriptional regulation of the milk protein genes is a main factor in the GH-mediated effects on bovine lactation. There were significant transcriptional changes in a wide range of pathways including cell signaling, cell death, cell growth and proliferation, cell cycle regulation and metabolism, consistent with the broad effects of GH. Differential expression of genes involved in the PI3K, ERK/MAPK, insulin receptor, JAK/STAT and IGF-1 signaling pathways were also evident in response to GH treatment supporting potential cross-talk between the GH and insulin signaling pathways in the bovine mammary gland. Transcript levels of the SHC1 gene were elevated in GH-treated cows. SHC1 activates many pathways including those associated with translational regulation and gene transcription and has been implicated in mediating cross-talk between the insulin and GH signaling pathways, providing some insights into the potential pathways mediating the effects of GH on milk protein synthesis in the bovine mammary gland.
2009-09-04 | GSE11571 | GEO
Project description:Simple Summary Within anthropogenic sources, agriculture contributes the most to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The on-field assessment of methane emissions from livestock is crucial for testing and implementing mitigation strategies to reduce the deleterious effects of GHG on climate. Therefore, this article presents a longitudinal study in which measurements of enteric methane emissions from dairy cows (Jersey and Holstein-Freisian raised under a semi-extensive management system) were performed with a tool previously described as reliable, portable, and cost-effective: the laser methane detector (LMD). The results showed breed-related differences in methane emissions when milk yield was not considered, challenging us to rethink milk traits and breeding choices. Moreover, methane emissions were lower in cows in early lactation as well as in primiparous, likely reflecting concentrate supplementation and energy metabolism. The study pointed out the opportunity to design and test regional tailored mitigation strategies, including nutritional management, for higher methane emission periods within cows’ lactation cycle, while ensuring the enhancement of productivity. Abstract Reversing climate change requires broad, cohesive, and strategic plans for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from animal farming. The implementation and evaluation of such plans demand accurate and accessible methods for monitoring on-field CH4 concentration in eructating breath. Therefore, this paper describes a longitudinal study over six months, aiming to test a protocol using a laser methane detector (LMD) to monitor CH4 emissions in semi-extensive dairy farm systems. Over 10 time points, CH4 measurements were performed in dry (late gestation) and lactating cows at an Azorean dairy farm. Methane traits including CH4 concentration related to eructation (E_CH4) and respiration (R_CH4), and eructation events, were automatically computed from CH4 measured values using algorithms created for peak detection and analysis. Daily CH4 emission was estimated from each profile’s mean CH4 concentration (MEAN_CH4). Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model, including breed, lactation stage, and parity as fixed effects, and cow (subject) and time point as random effects. The results showed that Holsteins had higher E_CH4 than Jersey cows (p < 0.001). Although a breed-related trend was found in daily CH4 emission (p = 0.060), it was not significant when normalized to daily milk yield (p > 0.05). Methane emissions were lower in dry than in lactation cows (p < 0.05) and increased with the advancement of the lactation, even when normalizing it to daily milk yield (p < 0.05). Primiparous cows had lower daily CH4 emissions related to R_ CH4 compared to multiparous (p < 0.001). This allowed the identification of periods of higher CH4 emissions within the milk production cycle of dairy cows, and thus, the opportunity to tailor mitigation strategies accordingly.
| S-EPMC10044636 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Bile acids (BAs) play an important role in the regulation of lipid metabolic homeostasis, but little is known about their metabolism in dairy cows fed a high-grain (HG) diet. In the present study, we examined the bacterial community, BA profile, and the FXR/FGF19 signaling pathway in the ileum and liver to investigate the gut microbe-BA metabolism interactions response to HG diet and the changes in the subsequent enterohepatic circulation of dairy cows. The results showed that the ileal bacterial community was altered, with an increase of Paraclostridium, Anaerobutyricum, Shuttleworthia, and Stomatobaculum in the relative abundance in the HG group. Moreover, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed that the abundance of total bacteria and bacterial bile-salt hydrolase (BSH) genes was increased in the ileal digesta in the HG group. Meanwhile, HG feeding also decreased the total BA content in the digesta of jejunum and ileum and in feces. HG feeding altered the BA profile in the ileal digesta by increasing unconjugated BAs and decreasing conjugated BAs. In addition, the intestinal FXR/FGF19 signaling pathway was activated. The expression of CYP7A1 (cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase) was depressed, which inhibited BAs synthesis in the liver of cows fed HG. Overall, HG feeding altered the ileal bacterial community and BA profile, and activated FXR/FGF19 signaling pathway, resulting in a decrease of BA level in the ileal digesta via the inhibition of hepatic BA synthesis. The findings provided novel insights into understanding the relationship between gut microbiota and the homeostasis of BAs in dairy cows fed a HG diet.
| S-EPMC10494876 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThe objective of the present study was to elucidate the mechanism underlying liver metabolic perturbations in dairy cows exposed to heat stress (HS).MethodsLiquid chromatography massabl spectrometry was used to analyze metabolic differences in livers of 20 dairy cows, with and without exposure to HS.ResultsThe results revealed 33 potential metabolite candidate biomarkers for the detection of HS in dairy cows. Fifteen of these metabolites (glucose, lactate, pyruvate, acetoacetate, β-hydroxybutyrate, fumaric acid, citric acid, choline, glycine, proline, isoleucine, leucine, urea, creatinine, and orotic acid) were previously found to be potential biomarkers of HS in plasma or milk, discriminating dairy cows with and without HS.ConclusionAll the potential diagnostic biomarkers were involved in glycolysis, amino acid, ketone, tricarboxylic acid, or nucleotide metabolism, indicating that HS mainly affected energy and nucleotide metabolism in lactating dairy cows.
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