Effect of a 2-step probiotic program on digestive health and performance of Holstein heifer calves.

Managing the composition of the bacterial communities in the digestive tract with the use of probiotics that enhance protective microflora could result in positive effects on health and performance of calves. The objective of this study was to evaluate a 2-step probiotic program (added to colostrum and milk) on the digestive health and growth of preweaning Holstein heifers. A randomized clinical trial was conducted from July to October 2020 in a calf rearing facility in Colorado. Calves were housed in pairs sharing the same treatment in 2 polyethylene hutches within a common area of 4.50 m2. A total of 232 calves were enrolled at birth and randomly allocated into 2 treatment groups [control (CTR) = 116; treatment (PB) = 116] and followed until weaning (64 ± 3 d). Treatment consisted of 2 formulations of a multistrain bacterial-based probiotic added in colostrum (PBF1) and milk (PBF2). Treatment calves received 2 g of PBF1 added to each colostrum feeding, and 1 g of PBF2 added to the milk at the morning feeding 3 times per week up to weaning. Calf weight was collected at birth, at 30 d of age, and at weaning. Serum total protein was determined at age 3 ± 1 d and a health assessment was completed 3 times per week. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS, with calf considered the experimental unit clustered by housing pair. Cox proportional hazard analysis and time to event analysis were used to compare time to the first diarrhea event and time to recovery between treatment groups. The total number of diarrhea events and culling were assessed by Poisson regression and logistic regression analysis, respectively. Linear regression was performed to evaluate differences in average daily gain by treatment group. Overall, the mean (± standard error) temperature humidity index (THI) was 75 (± 0.44) units during the study period, which resulted in continuous exposure to heat stress in the day hours. No difference between treatment groups was observed in serum total protein. The overall incidence of diarrhea was 96.6% (CTR = 99%, PB = 95%); no differences were determined in the hazard of a first diarrhea episode or in the median time to the first diarrhea event (11 d in both groups). Similarly, no differences were found in the likelihood of recovery or in the median time to recovery from diarrhea (7 d in both groups). Likewise, treatment group was not associated with the number of diarrhea events, mean (± standard error, g/d) average daily gain from birth to weaning [CTR = 562.5 (13.9); PB = 570.8 (13.5)], or with the odds of culling. The most prevalent pathogen isolated from feces was Clostridium, which tended to be more frequent in CTR calves than PB calves. In conclusion, the probiotic program did not affect the incidence of enteric disease or the growth of preweaning heifer calves.

Effect of fish oil and canola oil supplementation on immunological parameters, feed intake, and growth of Holstein calves.

Supplemental n-3 fatty acids (FA) may support better immune responses than n-6 and n-9 FA in dairy calves. The objective was to evaluate the effect of n-3 FA, supplemented as a fish oil product (FO) in the milk replacer (MR), in comparison to n-6 and n-9 FA, supplemented as canola oil (CO), on body weight (BW), daily gain, and immunological parameters of preweaning Holstein calves. The study was conducted from September to December 2019. Calves were randomly allocated to a control group (n = 15; BW = 36.2 ± 1.5 kg; mean ± SEM) supplemented daily with 30 mL of CO and to an experimental group (n = 15; BW = 36.3 ± 1.5 kg) supplemented with 60 g of a product containing 30 g of FO. Both treatments were added to the MR during the morning feeding. All calves were fed 4 L of MR at 12.5% solids at 0700 and 1600 h for wk 1, 6 L from wk 2 to 7, and 3 L once daily (0700 h) during wk 8 until weaning (56 d). Blood samples were collected at 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, and 56 d of age for serum haptoglobin, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and protectin. Dry matter intake was recorded in all experimental calves daily. Seroneutralization titers to vaccination against viral diseases (infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, parainfluenza 3, bovine viral diarrhea, and bovine respiratory syncytial virus) were determined. Mixed models for repeated measures were developed to analyze variables over time. Seroneutralization titers were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis test. The other variables were compared by a generalized linear model. Serum FA profile at 35 d of age showed that FO supported higher concentrations of n-3 FA than CO. Final BW [65.2 vs. 62.0 kg, standard error of the mean (SEM) = 2.1 kg] and average daily gain (0.52 vs. 0.46 kg/d, SEM = 0.1 kg/d) tended to be higher for the FO than the CO group. An interaction of treatment × day for dry matter intake was observed, especially during weaning (2.17 kg vs. 1.94 kg, SEM = 0.158 kg, for FO and CO group, respectively). Blood lactate (mmol/L) was higher in the CO than in the FO group at d 7. Haptoglobin and IL-1ß were higher for the CO group on d 14 than the FO group. The TNF- α concentrations for the FO group were reduced over time, whereas the concentrations in the CO group remained constant. Protectin was higher in the FO group on d 14, but was lower on d 28, 35, and 49. Seroneutralization antibody titers postvaccination for the PI3 virus were higher for the FO than the CO group. In conclusion, calves supplemented with FO had lower concentrations of blood lactate, haptoglobin, IL-1ß and TNF-α than calves supplemented with CO during the study period. The FO supplementation had a higher DMI than CO supplementation. Results of this trial should be interpreted with caution due to the lack of a negative control group as well as the lower birth weight and growth rate observed under heat stress conditions.

A randomized controlled clinical trial on the effect of acupuncture therapy in dairy cows affected by pyometra.

Pyometra (PYO) is a reproductive disease characterized by the accumulation of purulent or mucopurulent material within the uterine lumen, in the presence of an active corpus luteum (CL). As the CL continues secreting progesterone, PYO would develop following endometritis. Due to prohibited use of artificial luteolytic hormones in US certified organic dairies, conventional therapies consisting of administration of prostaglandin F2α, are not applicable. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two acupuncture procedures on the treatment of persistent CL in cows with PYO. We hypothesized that acupuncture would reduce CL diameter and serum progesterone (P4) concentrations, leading to regression of PYO. Holstein cows with PYO, at an USDA certified organic dairy farm in Northern Colorado, were enrolled in a randomized controlled clinical trial and assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: (1) control pyometra (CP; no treatment; n = 17); (2) electroacupuncture (EAP; n = 15); and (3) laser acupuncture (LAP; n = 15). Each cow received three 9-min (EAP) or 20-min (LAP) acupuncture sessions in alternate days. All study cows had blood samples collected for determination of serum progesterone concentration at d0, and at d2, d4, d11, d18, and d25 after first treatment. The ovaries were scanned by transrectal ultrasonography at -3d, d0, d2, d4, d11, and d18 to determine the diameter of the CL. The effect of treatment in the outcome variables was evaluated by ANOVA and by repeated measures analyses, accounting for baseline data (CL diameter and progesterone serum concentration). Average ± SE change in CL diameter from d0 to d18 were 0.94 ± 1.0 mm, 0 ± 1.0 mm, and - 0.33 ± 1.0 mm for CP, EAP, and LAP, respectively. The repeated measures analysis indicated no significant differences for CL diameter among groups. None of the study cows had serum progesterone values <1 ng/ml by the end of the monitoring period (d25) and average ± SE change from d0 to d25 were - 4.0 ± 1.97 ng/ml, -0.76 ± 2.1 ng/ml, and 3.24 ± 1.9 ng/ml for CP, EAP, and LAP, respectively. The repeated measures analysis indicated no significant differences for serum progesterone concentrations among groups. On farm cow records reviewed 150 d after treatment indicated that 2 cows in EAP and 1 cow in LAP conceived 38 d, 68 d, and 38 d, after treatment completion. In conclusion, acupuncture was not an effective treatment for persistent CL in cows with PYO, during the monitoring period.

Associations of reproductive indices with fertility outcomes, milk yield, and survival in Holstein cows.

The study is part of a research effort investigating potential associations between genomic variation and fertility of Holstein cows. The objective was to compare the reproductive performance of Holstein cows in 3 categories of 2 reproductive indices (RI) that were developed for the allocation of cows in a ranking for potential fertility, based on the predicted probability of pregnancy. The associations between categories of the developed indices and multiple fertility variables in a large multistate population of Holstein cows were tested. In addition, we analyzed associations among the RI categories with milk yield and survival. Based on phenotypic information from individual cows, 2 reproductive indices (RI1 and RI2) were developed, representing a predicted probability that a cow will become pregnant at first artificial insemination postpartum, as a function of explanatory variables used in a logistic model. Data from a total of 11,733 cows calving in 16 farms located in 4 regions of the United States (Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, and Southwest) were available. Cows were enrolled at parturition and monitored weekly for reproductive events, health status, milk yield, and survival. To develop the indices, potential significant effects were initially tested by univariate analyses. Effects with P ≤ 0.05 were offered to the multivariate analysis, and the final models were determined through backward elimination, considering potentially significant interactions. The final model for RI1 included the random effect of farm and a complement of significant fixed effects as explanatory variables influencing a pregnancy outcome: (1) incidence of retained fetal membranes; (2) metritis; (3) clinical endometritis; (4) lameness at 35 days in milk (DIM); (5) resumption of postpartum ovulation by 50 DIM; (6) season of calving; and (7) parity number. The model for RI2 included (1) parity number; (2) body condition score at 40 DIM; (3) incidence of retained fetal membranes; (4) metritis; (5) resumption of postpartum ovulation by 50 DIM; (6) region; (7) subclinical ketosis; (8) mastitis; (9) clinical endometritis; and (10) milk yield at the first milk test after calving; as well as the interaction effects of postpartum resumption of ovulation by 50 DIM × region; mastitis × region; and milk yield at the first milk test after calving × parity number. Multivariate logistic regression, ANOVA, and survival analysis were used to test the correspondence between the resulting RI and individual fertility, milk yield, and survival from the population. To facilitate the analyses, the resulting RI values were categorized as low for cows in the lowest quartile, medium for cows within the interquartile range, or high for cows in the top quartile. We found consistent agreement between categories of the predicted RI and the measures of fertility and survival collected from individual cows. We conclude that the proposed RI represent a viable approach to refine the allocation of cows into potential low- and high-fertility populations.

El expendedor de plantas de la ciudad de Medellín: su caracterización social y su saber en salud bucal / The medicinal plant salespersons in the city of Medellín: their social characterization and knowledge of oral health

Introducción: la presente investigación permite la caracterización del expendedor como portador de un saber y una cultura ancestral, da cuenta de su tradición y permanencia en el tiempo. La descripción de sus conocimientos se da a través de la clasificación y sistematización de cada una de las plantas recomendadas por él, según su uso en cavidad bucal, la descripción de sus características botánicas y formas de uso; además de poder referenciar el valor potencial medicinal científico de dichas plantas. Métodos: se realizó una investigación cualitativa de corte etnográfico que permitió comprender el fenómeno, con el propósito de describir una práctica empírica arraigada en un grupo social, los expendedores de plantas de la ciudad de Medellín. Resultados: puede afirmarse que el expendedor de plantas de Medellín se constituye en una figura insertada en un sistema médico, el cual posee coherencia interna para el contexto, por su rol y elementos identificados en su conocimiento, como: adquisición, transmisión y ejercicio, los cuales, conforman el corpus y praxis de los sistemas médicos tradicionales como cabeza médica. Conclusiones: la transmisión de los mismos se da como legado, entre generaciones, en condición de “un don” que la naturaleza humana les otorga. Su ejercicio se da en los circuitos comerciales de la ciudad moderna, en el sector tradicional de las plazas de mercado y en los nuevos sectores del empleo informal: avenidas, calles y bulevares. El expendedor interactúa con los distintos sectores, su conocimiento y están enmarcados dentro de una lógica general de sincretismo cultural producto de sus concepciones sobre salud bucal.