Effects of rumen-protected choline and dry propylene glycol on feed intake and blood parameters for Holstein dairy cows in early lactation

Abstract

A 6 x 6 Latin square design was used to test 3 sets of comparisons simultaneously to study response in dry matter intake, milk yield, and blood parameters to propylene glycol (PG) supplementation delivered by 2 methods [incorporating PG into the total mixed ration (TMR) vs. top dressing; comparison I]; individual or combined dietary choline and PG supplementation as a 2 x 2 factorial (comparison II); or increasing amounts of dietary choline (comparison III). Six multiparous (lactation number = 1.5 +/- 0.8 SD) Holstein dairy cows were at 41 d in milk (+/- 9 SD) at the start of the experiment. Propylene glycol used was a dry product containing 65% PG, and choline was a rumen-protected choline product (RPC; estimated to be 50% rumen-protected) containing 50% choline chloride. In comparison I, treatments compared were 1) control: no PG; 2) PG-TMR: 250 g/d of dry PG (corresponding to 162.5 g/d of PG) incorporated into the TMR; and 3) PG-top dress: 250 g/d of dry PG top-dressed onto the TMR. In comparison II, treatments compared were 1) control: no PG and no RPC; 2) PG: 250 g/d of dry PG incorporated into the TMR; 3) RPC: 50 g/d of RPC top-dressed onto the TMR; and 4) PG+RPC: combination of treatments 2 and 3. In comparison III, treatments compared were 0, 25, and 50 g/d of RPC top-dressed onto the TMR. Each experimental period lasted 10 d with 9 d of adaptation followed by 1 d of serial blood sampling. Dry matter intake and milk yield were recorded daily. During the serial blood sampling, jugular blood was sampled every 20 min for the first 4 h and at 8 and 12 h after treatment administration. Results obtained from comparison I showed that feeding 250 g/d of PG as a dry product decreased plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentration (mean +/- SEM) from 701 +/- 81 (control) to 564 +/- 76 micromol/L without affecting serum insulin, plasma glucose, or plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentrations. Top-dressing PG decreased plasma BHBA concentrations more than by incorporating it into the TMR [527 vs. 601 micromol/L (+/- 81 pooled SEM)]. Results obtained from comparison II showed that supplementing choline as RPC, PG, or both had no effect on dry matter intake, milk yield, or any of the blood parameters measured. Results obtained from comparison III showed that milk yield tended to increase linearly with increasing amounts of dietary choline as RPC. We concluded that feeding PG as a dry product reduced plasma BHBA concentration but top-dressing PG was more efficient at reducing plasma BHBA level than incorporating PG into the TMR. Dietary choline as RPC tended to increase milk yield linearly. However, a combined effect of dietary PG and choline was not evident and therefore not beneficial.

Effect of herbal choline and rumen-protected methionine on lamb performance and blood metabolites

“…In dairy cattle, Pinotti et al (2004) observed a significant increase of plasma cholesterol and a NEFA decrease with a tendency for increased glucose with an estimated effective duodenal dose of 75 mg/kg BW 0.75 . In contrast, Chung et al (2009) did not find an effect on plasma NEFA and glucose in dairy cows dosed with an estimated effective 73 or 147 mg/kg BW 0.75 . Nor did Zhou et al (2016), who observed changes in glucose or fatty acids with estimated flows from 72 or 80 mg/kg BW 0.75 .…”

Rumen-protected choline and vitamin E supplementation in periparturient dairy goats: effects on milk production and folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin E status

“…Absence of a plasma constituent response to choline supplementation has also been reported in transition dairy cows (Piepenbrink and Overton, 2003;Janovick Guretzky et al, 2006). Other studies however have reported lower plasma NEFA in choline-supplemented animals around parturition (Pinotti et al, 2003;Chung et al, 2005) or during the dry period (Grummer, 2006); Zahra et al (2006) found lowered serum cholesterol. Thus further studies are needed to clarify the mechanism of action of choline on plasma metabolites in periparturient dairy ruminants.…”

Effect of butaphosphan and cyanocobalamin on postpartum metabolism and milk production in dairy cows

“…Several strategies have been attempted to reduce the effects of NEB, including supplementation with glycerol (DeFrain et al, 2004), nicotinic acid (Pires et al, 2007), cis-linoleic acid (Mosley et al, 2007), fat (Moallem et al, 2007), methionine (Preynat et al, 2009), choline (Chung et al, 2009), carnitine (Carlson et al, 2007) and monensin (Duffield et al, 2008). Overall, current treatments had limited success, and more research is needed.…”