Effect of unsaturated fatty acid supplementation on digestion, metabolism and nutrient balance in dairy cows during the transition period and early lactation

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of unsaturated fatty acids in diets for dairy cows during the transition period and early lactation on intake, digestion and nutrient balance. Thirty-six multiparous and pregnant Holstein cows were randomly distributed to receive one of the experimental diets in the period from 35 days before the expected date of parturition to 84 days post-partum. Diets were fed as a total mixed ration and were as follows: control (C); soybean oil (SO), based on inclusion of 30 g/kg (DM basis); and calcium salts of unsaturated fatty acids (CS), based on inclusion of 30 g/kg (DM basis). Pre-partum dry matter intakes (DMI) of cows fed C, SO and CS were 11.9, 9.5 and 9.6 kg/d, respectively. Postpartum DMI was affected by experimental diets (18.5, 15.0 and 17.4 kg/d for C, SO and CS, respectively). The energy balance in the transition period of animals fed CS was 4.41 Mcal/d higher than cows fed SO and 1.3 Mcal/d higher than cows fed C. Supplementing cows with unsaturated fatty acid sources is a strategy for dairy cows in the transition period.

Effect of Supplementation Dietary Dry Fat on Productive and Reproductive Performance on Egyptian Lactating Buffaloes

“…Singh et al (2014) showed that total digestible nutrients (TDN) was significantly higher (P<0.05) in addition of prill fat group (PFG) cows than the control cows. On the other hand, Rennó, et al (2014) reported that supplementation of unsaturated fatty acids had no effects on DM, OM, CP, and NDF in the pre-partum period. Abu El-Hamd et al (2012) suggested that digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, CF, NFE and DCP value were not affected by supplementing CFM with protected fat at 5%.…”

“…A portion of the increase in digestibility may have resulted from the reduction of DMI (Table 7) that occurred. Rennó et al (2014) pointed that supplementation of unsaturated fatty acids had no effects on DM in the pre-partum period but in the post-partum period, cows fed CS and SO had lower intakes of DM. Toufighi et al (2014) found that in all experimental periods daily DMI were decreased for 3 or 5% rumen-protected fat and the differences were not statistically significant.…”

“…On the other hand, Zeedan et al (2010) found that the addition of dry fat to diets of lactating Damascus goats at different levels (3 or 5%) increased rumen ammonia -N compared to control one but it not reached the significant effect. Rennó et al (2014) pointed that supplementation of cows fed soybean oil (SO), based on inclusion of 30 g/kg (DM basis); and calcium salts of unsaturated fatty acids (CS), based on inclusion of 30 g/kg (DM Basis) in the pre-partum and post-partum period, had no effect on the concentrations of rumen N-NH3 concentrations.…”

“…On contrary, the results of Abu El-Hamd et al (2012) suggested that average daily milk yield (ADMY) was not affected by supplementation with 5% protected fat (G2) than in control (G1). Rennó et al (2014) pointed that no difference was detected for milk yield (MY) between cows supplemented or un-supplemented with unsaturated fatty acids. Souza Júnior et al (2016) suggested that there was no difference (P > 0.05) on milk yield due to protected fat or CP rates.…”

The influence of protected kapok seed oil supplementation on in vitro ruminal fermentability and linoleic acid status with Etawah crossbred goat rumen fluid and elephant grass as feed

“…Protection is also required to minimize the negative effect of unsaturated fatty acids upon the fiber degradation by cellulolytic microbes. Partial protection is applied as an attempt to capitalize on the positive influence of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to raise the ruminal fermentation efficiency up to a certain level that does not cause the decreasing of fibrous feed utility, significantly (Renno et al, 2014). Linoleic acid can affect the ruminal fermentation, which lowers the availability of substrates for methanogenesis so that the methane formation is reduced, which means reduce the waste of energy that to go to waste through the formation of methane gas.…”