Protection and Active Decontamination of Dairy Cattle Heifers against Lipophilic Toxins (PCBs) from Diet

Abstract

We studied the effects of a hydrophobized reversed-phase feed adsorbent in the form of a polyoctylated polysilicate hydrogel (POPSH) on productivity indicators, metabolic adaptation, and on the level of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the blood of growing Holsteinized black-and-white heifers during the transition period. Two groups of two-month-old heifers of 20 head each were used. The experimental group received POPSH in addition to the main diet. The use of the adsorbent led to an increase in daily weight gain by 19.9% and to a decrease in the total concentration of PCB congeners found in whole blood by 40%. The greatest decrease in concentration (35–52%) was observed for tetra-, penta- and hexachlorobiphenyls. These results demonstrate the possibilities of effective protection of calves from lipophilic toxins of feed and their active decontamination.

Bioactive Feed Additive for the Prevention of Clostridial Disease in High-Yielding Dairy Cattle

“…Many studies have been conducted on the effects of chemical toxins [16] and mycotoxins [17] on the ruminant organism. Mechanisms have also been developed to mitigate their effects on the animal organism, primarily related to measures to reduce emissions into the environment, to improve protocols for forage harvesting and storage, and to neutralize and remove them from the animal organism by feeding them targeted feed additives [18][19][20].…”