A small scale study on the effects of oral administration of the β-glucan produced by Aureobasidium pullulans on milk quality and cytokine expressions of Holstein cows, and on bacterial flora in the intestines of Japanese black calves

Abstract

BackgroundThe β–(1 → 3),(1 → 6)-D-glucan extracellularly produced by Aureobasidium pullulans exhibits immunomodulatory activity, and is used for health supplements. To examine the effects of oral administration of the β–(1 → 3),(1 → 6)-D-glucan to domestic animals, a small scale study was conducted using Holstein cows and newborn Japanese Black calves.FindingsHolstein cows of which somatic cell count was less than 3 x 105/ml were orally administered with or without the β-(1 → 3),(1 → 6)-D-glucan-enriched A. pullulans cultured fluid (AP-CF) for 3 months, and the properties of milk and serum cytokine expression were monitored. Somatic cell counts were not significantly changed by oral administration of AP-CF, whereas the concentration of solid non fat in the milk tended to increase in the AP-CF administered cows. The results of cytokine expression analysis in the serum using ELISA indicate that the expressions of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 in all cows which were orally administered with AP-CF became slightly lower than that of control cows after the two-month treatment. On the other hand, IL-8 expression tended to indicate a moderately higher level in all treated cows after the three-month administration of AP-CF in comparison with that of the control cows. Peripartum Japanese Black beef cows and their newborn calves were orally administered with AP-CF, and bacterial flora in the intestines of the calves were analyzed by T-RFLP (terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism). The results suggest that bacterial flora are tendentiously changed by oral administration of AP-CF.ConclusionsOur data indicated the possibility that oral administration of the β–(1 → 3),(1 → 6)-D- glucan produced by A. pullulans affects cytokine expressions in the serum of Holstein cows, and influences bacterial flora in the intestines of Japanese Black calves. The findings may be helpful for further study on the efficacies of oral administration of β-(1 → 3),(1 → 6)-D-glucans on domestic animals.

β-Glucan Derived from Aureobasidium pullulans Is Effective for the Prevention of Influenza in Mice

“…Therefore, it is assumed that the orally administered AP-CF constitutively activate the immunity by daily feedings. Our previous study using cattle suggested that the beneficial effects of the A. pullulans -cultured fluid on the health including the activation of immune system would appear after the long-term administration under conventional condition [48] . Although the properties of the effects of long-term administration of AP-CF on the immune system might be distinct from that of the short-term administration, the immunostimulating effects of AP-CF are not thought to be disappeared after the long-term administration.…”

The Effects of β-Glucan on Pig Growth and Immunity

“…Additional study found different effects based on type and purity of glucan used. Both glucans increased the feed uptake, but differed in modulation of immune responses [ 40 ].…”

Assessment of Polysaccharide and Biomass Production from Three White-Rot Fungi by Solid-State Fermentation Using Wood and Agro-Industrial Residues: A Kinetic Approach

“…On the other hand, β-glucans from mycelium biomass contained in the pretreated residue can be an additional glucose source in the rumen or replace part of the carbohydrates, hemicellulose, and cellulose, which are degraded by the fungus [10]. β-glucans from other types of fungal organisms like yeast have also shown their nutritional functions when added to feed as presented in [39] for the case of Holstein cows and Japanese black calves; the orally administered β-(1→3),(1→6)-D-glucan may affect the growth of particular bacterial strains, which are able to use it as a nutrient, and this may influence the formation of bacterial microbiota in the intestine. In addition, the increasement of glucanases activity may affect oligosaccharides and glycoproteins production from feed in the rumen.…”