Fecal excretion of alcohols and organic anions in neonatal dairy calves

2010

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ABSTRACT. To clarify the significance of fecal trimethylamine, lactate and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in fermentative development of the hindgut in neonatal calves and the occurrence of diarrhea, 143 fecal samples (47 diarrheic, 93 normal and 3 meconium) were collected from 58 dairy calves fed milk. An additional 20 fecal samples were obtained from 10 weaned calves aged 13 to 18 weeks. Fecal pH, trimethylamine, ammonia, lactate and VFAs were analyzed. Compared with weaned calves, the trimethylamine level was higher in milkfed calves and was associated with a large number of cases of diarrhea, but it had little relationship with the fecal ammonia level. Feces collected from the youngest (<2 weeks age) calves were more acidic and were associated with a higher lactate concentration. Lactic fermentation and fecal acidity were tremendously accelerated, particularly in diarrhea. Despite large fluctuations, the VFA concentrations were lower in diarrheic than in normal feces. In diarrheic feces at the youngest stage, the lower proportion of n-butyrate in the VFAs was accompanied by the elevated proportion of acetate. However, the fermentative differences between the diarrheic and normal feces were less apparent with advancing age. Thus, the fecal lactate and VFA profiles revealed marked changes with advancing age and suffering from diarrhea. Upon comparison with weaned calves, the trimethylamine level was clearly higher in the milk-fed calves and showed huge elevations in diarrheic cases.KEY WORDS: calf feces, colonic lactate, diarrhea, fecal trimethylamine, fecal VFA.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 72(12): 1551-1555, 2010 Unlike adult ruminants, newborn calves depend on the colon rather than the rumen (forestomach) for digestive fermentation because they obtain most of their nutrients from milk feeding as opposed to solid food [1]. For this reason, they are therefore called hindgut animals or preruminants during the neonatal period involving milk feeding [1,2]. Thus, the colon is the primary site of early microbial colonization in these calves, although their gut flora remains immature at this life stage [2]. Nutrients that escape digestion and absorption in the small intestine undergo largebowel fermentation, which is accompanied by the production of lactate, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), gas and nitrogenous intermediates such as trimethylamine. The physiological significance of VFAs and lactate in gut health has received considerable attention in humans [7,15,16] and animal nutrition [16,18] during the last few decades. In addition, trimethylamine, which is a degenerative product of intestinal bacteria, is often associated with foul odors in the atmosphere and also has significance in nutritional, clinical and malodor characterization in healthy humans [13,21]. Aside from the air pollution resulting from excess trimethylamine production in the livestock industry [20], little attention has been focused on trimethylamine formation in the gut and its clinical significance in dairy and beef cattle. The aims of this comparative study, ...

Section: Postnatal Changes Of Trimethylamine and Diarrheamentioning

confidence: 99%

Fecal Trimethylamine, Lactate and Volatile Fatty Acid Concentrations and Their Relationships with Diarrhea in Newborn Dairy Calves

2010

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“…Together with moisture examination of the TMR samples using a drying oven, parts of the fresh TMR were extracted with water overnight in the refrigerator and centrifuged as mentioned above. Using the supernatants, isopropanol, ethanol, acetone and VFAs were analyzed by gas chromatography [8]. The sum of isobu-…”

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confidence: 99%

Acetone and Isopropanol in Ruminal Fluid and Feces of Lactating Dairy Cows

Shiogama

2010

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ABSTRACT. Acetone and its metabolite isopropanol are produced by gut microbes as well as by the host's metabolism. To evaluate the production of acetone and isopropanol in alimentary tracts, a total of 80 pair-samples of feces and ruminal fluid were taken in lactating dairy cows that had been fed silage-containing diets. Acetone and isopropanol were analyzed, together with ethanol and volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Isopropanol was detected in 57 fecal and all the ruminal samples; however, the ruminal isopropanol and ethanol concentrations were distinctly lower than those in the feces. Acetone was detected in 13 fecal and 53 ruminal samples; however, there was no significant difference in acetone concentrations between the feces and the ruminal fluid. The group with higher fecal isopropanol concentration showed higher fecal proportions of acetate accompanied by low proportion of minor VFA, which consisted of isobutyrate and iso-and n-valerate. In the group with higher ruminal isopropanol concentration, ethanol concentration was higher; the ruminal VFA profiles showed only a negligible difference. Fecal and ruminal ethanol concentrations were not affected by feed ethanol. Thus, the colon showed an accelerated alcoholic fermentation compared with the rumen of dairy cows; however, acetone was present at higher frequency in the rumen than in the feces. Ketone bodies have been used as important energy substrates although their concentrations have been shown to increase markedly in the body fluids of diseased animals with energy deficits and others. Of the three ketone bodies, only acetone has long been considered principally as a final metabolic product, while data on the metabolic use of acetone has become progressively available in mammals [4]. Moreover, acetone is utilized by ruminal microbes, and the resultant metabolites (e.g., isopropanol) are absorbed by the host [1,7]. We recently observed elevations of acetone and isopropanol not only in the blood, but also in the rumen of ketotic cows [7]; however, little attention had been paid to these metabolites in healthy cows. As in the rumen, colonic microbes also have higher fermentation activity, producing many metabolites such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs) [2]. Although hindgut fermentation also has great significance in the fibrous fermentation, as well as in the production of alcohol, basic information on ketone bodies and related metabolites in gut fermentation is limited in dairy cows. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to describe the physiological range of ketogenic metabolites and their fermentative significance, together with ethanol production in the rumen and hindgut, particularly colonic fermentation in healthy dairy cows given silage based feeds. MATERIALS AND METHODS Animals and feeds: From December 2007 to October2008, 25 multiparus healthy Holstein cows housed in freestall barns were used. The cows were milked twice daily or by a full automatic milking system with voluntarily cow's visit. They were fed total mixed ration (TMR; moisture 47-57%...

“…Comparing with adults, the colon of young mammals is a primary site of microbial colonization because they get most nutrients from liquid milk, not from solid diets. Moreover, gut flora of neonatal mammals is less developed [3] and the immature flora produce large quantities of intermediates such as lactate, succinate and alcohols in calves [8,9]. With advancing age and gut flora, most of these intermediates are converted mainly to volatile fatty acid (VFA) which consist predominant anions in the large bowel [2].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since the fecal profiles had large individual difference during the neonatal period irrespective of the same feeding of milk [8,9], a comparative study of fecal profiles among the calves has serious difficulties in explanation. Therefore, the present data were compared between normal and diarrheic feces in the individuals, and not between the normal and diarrhea of different calves.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Increased Fecal Lactate and Decreased Volatile Fatty Acid (VFA), Particularly n-Butyrate Concentrations in Diarrheic Young Calves

2009

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ABSTRACT. Using 24 diarrheic dairy calves under 8 weeks old, multiple fecal samples (4-12) were collected individually during the clinical advancing (max. 10 days) to evaluate the importance of fecal ammonia, lactate and volatile fatty acid (VFA) levels. Removing 3 calves not recovered during the sampling, 21 calves were grouped into under 3 weeks (< 3 wk; n=11) and 3-8 weeks old (3-8 wk; n=10). Data were divided into diarrheic and recovered feces with averaging in individuals. Diarrheic feces showed lower VFA and n-butyrate, and higher acetate proportions than recovered feces at <3 wk, but not at 3-8 wk. Diarrhea showed higher lactate, and lower ammonia and minor VFA (i-butyrate, valerate), which might reflect insufficiency in gut flora and fermentation. KEY WORDS: calf diarrhea, colonic fermentation, fecal ammonia, fecal VFA, feces lactate.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 71(1): 117-119, 2009 Many calves suffer with diarrhea in early life by infectious, nutritional and other factors. The large intestine has an important function in relation to diarrheic pathophysiology. Nutrients that escaped small intestinal digestion are exposed to large bowel fermentation accompanying various intermediates and final products. Comparing with adults, the colon of young mammals is a primary site of microbial colonization because they get most nutrients from liquid milk, not from solid diets. Moreover, gut flora of neonatal mammals is less developed [3] and the immature flora produce large quantities of intermediates such as lactate, succinate and alcohols in calves [8,9]. With advancing age and gut flora, most of these intermediates are converted mainly to volatile fatty acid (VFA) which consist predominant anions in the large bowel [2]. Calf diarrhea has broken out by the upset of delicate balance between calves' gut integrity and gut flora during the postnatal life; however, information on fecal fermentative properties including organic anions is limited in relation to diarrhea. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to elucidate the fecal profiles brought by colonic fermentation within individual calves which experienced both of diarrhea and recovery during the clinical advancing.Twenty-four diarrheic calves (22 male and 2 female; 22 Holstein and 2 Jersey) visited the animal clinic of Rakuno Gakuen University were used. The calves were less than 8 weeks old at fecal collection described latter. They were given approximate 4 kg of milk replacer daily and were free accessed to water, calf starter and hay. Twelve calves infected with cryptosporidium and two had coccidia; however, the cause of the diarrhea was not fully evaluated in the others. Some calves were given probiotics and medical charcoal with the milk replacer, but no antibiotics.In each calf, multiple fecal samples were collected from the rectum during 4-10 days period of clinical advancing. In some calves, fecal samples were taken twice daily or by interval of 2 to 3 days. Sample size in individual calves was 4-12, and total 182 feces were collected from the 24 calves. In...