Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, karaj, Iran
Abstract
Keywords
Main Subjects
Extended Abstract
Introduction
In the commercial dairy farms, the health risks of young calves prior to weaning are the main concerns due to calves in this period are susceptible to diseases such as acute diarrhea and respiratory disease and environmental stress always endangers the health of animals. Antibiotics are widely used to prevent these unfavorable conditions and treat infections of the gastrointestinal tract of calves. However, over-use of antibiotics in livestock promotes antibiotic resistance, which has a long-term effect on the animal body and also disturbs the intestinal microflora balance. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that have health benefits on the host animal by improving the colonization and recovery of the beneficial microbiota of the digestive tract and promoting nutrient absorption. Probiotics are capable to eliminate the toxins of pathogens using their produced end-products such as organic acids and bacteriocins. The use of probiotics in ruminants improved feed intake and growth performance and immune status. Moreover, probiotics supplemented to animals resulted in greater villi height and ratio of villi height to crypt depth.
Bacillus coagulans is a Gram-positive, anaerobic, non-pathogenic, spore-forming bacterium and produces lactic acid in metabolism and its spores are activated in the stomach, and grow and multiply in the animal’s intestine that benefits animal health. Therefore, it seems necessary to investigate the effect of Bacillus coagulans probiotic on growth performance, immune system and health status of Holstein calves.
Objective
There is great interest in using probiotics as an alternative approach to antibiotics to control bacterial diseases in livestock production. There is not sufficient information the effect of Bacillus coagulans probiotic on growth performance, immune system and health status of calves. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the use of Bacillus coagulans probiotic in feed and milk may have beneficial effects on Holstein calves performance and commercial dairy farms.
Materials and methods
Sixty Holstein calves, with an average body weight (BW) of 40.02 ± 1.85 kg (SD), from day 4 to day 73 of age were divided to the following two treatments as controls: no probiotic supplementation, BC: 600 mg of probiotic per kg of feed + 600 mg of probiotic per kg of milk. Was evaluated in two phases, 1 to 50 days and 51 to 70 days. Calf health was checked daily by a blind veterinarian to experimental treatments and sick calves were treated by a veterinarian accordingly. Calves were healthy with no clinical signs of systemic disease or mortality throughout the experiment.
Data for dry matter intake, growth performance, health indices, and serum metabolites were analyzed for two discrete periods from d 1 to 50, and from d 51 to 70 of experiment using the MIXED MODEL procedure. Data of nutrient digestibilities and health indices (treated days, days with diarrhea, and days with fever) were considered as single measurements and were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS.
Results and Discussion
The results showed that compared to the control, dry matter consumption, average daily increase, feed efficiency, and height change during the experiment did not differ significantly (P < 0.05), while the digestibility of nutrients was affected by probiotics (P < 0.05). Calves that received the probiotic Bacillus coagulans DSM 32016 in milk and feed, NDF digestibility had decreased compared to the control (P < 0.05), while NFC increased with probiotic supplementation (P < 0.05). Health indicators such as eye, ear, nose and stool scores were more favorable with Bacillus coagulans probiotic supplement than the control in both periods (P < 0.05). The number of days treated with antibiotics and electrolytes was similar between the groups. However, days with fever in both periods, and rectal temperature on days 51 to 70 were significantly reduced with Bacillus coagulans probiotic supplementation. Compared to the control, the level of glucose, beta-hydroxybutyrate and lymphocytes increased in the Clavus probiotic supplement, and the level of neutrophils and the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes decreased during days 51 to 70 with the supplement.
Previous studies have shown that the addition of Bacillus coagulans had positive effects on the growth performance and intestinal bacteria of weaned piglets and had good application prospects for replacing antibiotics. Studies have also shown that the use of Bacillus coagulans probiotic in poultry improved egg quality and reduce mortality.
Conclusion
The results of the current study showed that feeding of Bacillus coagulans DSM 32016 probiotic causes improved the faecal score and health indices, none-fibre carbohydrate digestibility, and increased lymphocytes levels of Holstein calves which suggesting the improved immune response for calves supplemented with probiotic, decreased signs of diseases like diarrhea and the positive effect on the intestinal flora.
Author Contributions
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All authors contributed equally to the conceptualization of the article and writing of the original and subsequent drafts.
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The authors would like to thank all participants of the present study.
The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of ABCD (Ethical code: IR.UT.RES.2024.500). The authors avoided data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and misconduct.
The author declares no conflict of interest.
The author declares no conflict of interest.
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