Assessing Performance and Safety of Feeding a Standardized Macleaya cordata Extract to Calves

Abstract

This study examined the effects of Sangrovit®, a Macleaya cordata plant extract (MCE) preparation on feed intake, growth, blood chemistry, and tissue-residue levels of calves. Twenty male and 20 female calves (~5 d of age) were assigned to one of four daily Sangrovit® doses: 0.0 and 0.0 (CTL), 2.0 and 4.0 (D1), 5.0 and 10.0 (D2), and 10.0 and 20.0 (D3) g/calf in pre-weaning (5 to 49 d of age) and post-weaning (50 to 95 d of age) periods, respectively. Sangrovit® doses were fed in milk replacer pre-weaning and top-dressed on calf starter post-weaning. Milk replacer and calf starter intake was recorded daily. Body weight, hematology, and serum chemistry were measured at 5, 49, and 95 d of age. Calves were slaughtered at 95 d of age for MCE tissue residue analysis. Compared to CTL, D1 increased milk-replacer intake (4.90 to 5.09 L/day), but decreased calf starter intake pre- (0.65 to 0.53 kg/d) and post-weaning (3.42 to 3.20 kg/d). No Sangrovit® dose affected average daily gain. The hematology and blood chemistry of all treatment groups fell within the ranges of healthy calves. Results showed no adverse effects of MCE on health and growth performance of calves when fed up to 10.0 g/calf/day pre-weaning and up to 20.0 g/calf/day post-weaning.

Evaluating Ruminal and Small Intestinal Morphology and Microbiota Composition of Calves Fed a Macleaya cordata Extract Preparation

“…Forty dairy (Holstein) × beef (Angus or Simmental) crossbred calves (20 male and 20 female) at 5 d of age were balanced for sex, and assigned to four doses (0, 2, 5 and 10 g/d pre-weaning, and 0, 4, 10 and 20 g/d post-weaning) of an MCE preparation (Sangrovit ® , Phytobiotics Futterzusatzstoffe GmbH, Eltville, Germany). Dose-dependent effects of MCE on feed intake, growth, and safety are reported in Matulka et al [17]. Given the linear increase in calf starter intake with MCE dose [17] and the positive relationship between starter intake and gut development of calves [18], the gut morphology and microbiota analyses were performed only on calves in 0 g/d (CTL) and the highest dose (10 calves per treatment group).…”

“…Dose-dependent effects of MCE on feed intake, growth, and safety are reported in Matulka et al [17]. Given the linear increase in calf starter intake with MCE dose [17] and the positive relationship between starter intake and gut development of calves [18], the gut morphology and microbiota analyses were performed only on calves in 0 g/d (CTL) and the highest dose (10 calves per treatment group). The latter is referred to as the MCE-feeding group (TRT) in this paper, reporting only the results of those two analyses.…”