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Keep Your Livestock Healthy With Probiotics
The term "probiotic" is defined as living organisms that exert health and physiological benefits beyond basic nutrition when consumed. Microorganisms fed in diets as probiotics are also referred to as direct fed microorganisms (DFMs). Examples of DFMs are certain species of bacteria and yeast. Benefits attributed to probiotics include 1) improved digestion; 2) improved nutrient absorption; 3) better balanced intestinal microflora; 4) improved immune status; and 5) exclusion or elimination of pathogenic microbes. Bacteria Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) refer to bacteria that produce predominately lactic acid from the metabolism of sugars. Lactic acid has a lower pH than most organic acids and is detrimental to many pathogenic microbes that can otherwise thrive in the intestinal tract. Therefore, maintaining a high population of LAB in the intestines is a primary defense against pathogens such as Clostridia, E. coli, and Salmonella. In addition to producing lactic acid, beneficial LAB produce secondary metabolites such as hydrogen peroxide, diacetyl, ammonia, fatty acids, and bacteriocins that are inhibitory to pathogens. Bacteriocins are protein substances released by bacteria that kill other strains of bacteria. Beneficial LAB also suppress pathogenic microbes by competitive exclusion. They accomplish this by dominating the limited space available on the intestinal wall for bacterial colonization and utilizing nutrients that would otherwise support growth of pathogenic bacteria. Lactobacillus bacteria are the predominate bacteria in the small intestine of healthy livestock. The most well known LAB used as a probiotic is L. acidophilus. This organism is very tolerant to acidic conditions found in the stomach and in bile secretions. It is known for its production of and tolerance to lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and bacteriocins. The weaknesses of L. acidophilus are that it grows slowly and does not thrive when pH in the gastrointestinal tract rises above normal. The pH may rise above normal under stress conditions and when exposed to a large challenge by pathogenic microbes. Another well-known LAB used as a probiotic is Enterococcus faecium (also known as Streptococcus faecium). This bacterium grows more rapidly than L. acidophilus. Therefore, by feeding E. faecium in combination with L. acidophilus, it is possible for the former bacteria to help pave the way for the establishment of the later bacteria in a hostile environment. Yeast A number of strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been evaluated for their ability to improve livestock performance. Modes of action include stimulation of rumen bacteria that digest cellulose or lactic acid (see table below). There are several possible ways yeast stimulate the population of rumen bacteria. Yeast cells and the culture they are grown with may contain growth factors necessary for the development and multiplication of bacteria. An example of one of these growth factors is malic acid, which has been shown to stimulate Selenomonas ruminantium and Megasphaera elsdenii, two major lactic acid-utilizing ruminal bacteria. Other growth factors in yeast that have been shown to stimulate various ruminal bacteria are short chain peptides, lipid compounds, and vitamins. Yeast may also contribute enzymes that help break down nutrients for bacteria to utilize. Another role yeast plays in the rumen is to scavenge oxygen that is detrimental to the anaerobic ruminal bacteria.
An increase of cellulose-digesting rumen bacteria should result in more forage in the ration being digested. This means there would be more net energy from the ration for the cow's production. If a cow's dry matter intake is limited by rumen fill, increasing fiber digestion will allow the cow to increase her dry matter intake. This also would result in more milk production, particularly for early lactation cows. An increase in lactic acid-utilizing bacteria will increase the metabolism of lactic acid to other compounds in the rumen. This reduces the problem of "lactic acid acidosis" due to an overaccumulation of lactic acid in the rumen. Reducing the amount of lactic acid in the rumen helps maintain a higher, more stable ruminal pH that favors cellulolytic bacteria responsible for fiber digestion. This also promotes a more favorable environment for the production of acetic acid needed for producing butterfat. Studies have been conducted recently that indicate feeding nucleotides will promote an increased immune response to disease challenges. Nucleotides are the essential components of DNA and RNA and are involved in many cellular activities. The nucleotides used in these studies were extracted from yeast cells. This may indicate another reason why yeast is valuable as a probiotic in livestock diets. Mannan Oligosaccharides Although mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) are not living organisms, they are included in this article because 1) they are derived from yeast cells and 2) they act to reduce pathogenic bacteria in the digestive tract. Mannan oligosaccharides are unique carbohydrates extracted from the outer wall of yeast cells. Pathogenic bacteria, such as E. coli and Salmonella, are attracted to MOS and readily bind with the carbohydrate rather than attaching themselves to the intestinal wall lining. When pathogenic bacteria bind to MOS, they cannot colonize the intestinal tract and instead are excreted with the feces. In addition to binding pathogens, Bio-Mos trials with calves have shown a statistically significant reduction in respiratory problems. This is appears to be because Bio-Mos modulates the immune system to increase macrophage and immunoglobin activity. Lacto Edge: A Three-Way Approach Based upon a growing volume of scientific information about probiotics, well-documented research trials and field experience, the Vigortone technical staff has developed a complete probiotic package named Lacto EdgeTM. Lacto Edge contains a unique combination of lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and MOS. This three-way probiotic provides a strong, yet natural, approach to improving and maintaining a healthy gastrointestinal tract. This, in turn, results in greater efficiency of production and profitability. Lacto Edge is designed to be used with cows in the transition period of calving, when there are ration changes, weather extremes, disease challenges, or any other stress situations. Lacto Edge is an excellent aid to baby calves and to starter feedlot cattle. For more information on Lacto Edge, please call us at 1-800-553-1712, email us at contactus@vigortone.com or email Dr. Allan Chestnut at achestnut@vigortone.com. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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