Combined biotin, folic acid, and vitamin B12 supplementation given during the transition period to dairy cows: Part II. Effects on energy balance and fatty acid composition of colostrum and milk

Abstract

Biotin (B 8 ), folate (B 9 ), and vitamin B 12 (B 12 ) are involved in several metabolic reactions related to energy metabolism. We hypothesized that a low supply of one of these vitamins during the transition period would impair metabolic status. This study was undertaken to assess the interaction between B 8 supplement and a supplementation of B 9 and B 12 regarding body weight (BW) change, dry matter intake, energy balance, and fatty acid (FA) compositions of colostrum and milk fat from d −21 to 21 relative to calving. Thirty-two multiparous Holstein cows housed in tie stalls were randomly assigned, according to their previous 305-d milk yield, to 8 incomplete blocks in 4 treatments: (1) a 2-mL weekly i.m. injection of saline (0.9% NaCl; B 8 −/ B 9 B 12 −); (2) 20 mg/d of dietary B 8 (unprotected from ruminal degradation) and 2-mL weekly i.m. injection of 0.9% NaCl (B 8 +/B 9 B 12 −); (3) 2.6 g/d of dietary B 9 (unprotected) and 2-mL weekly i.m. injection of 10 mg of B 12 (B 8 −/B 9 B 12 +); (4) 20 mg/d of dietary B 8 , 2.6 g/d of dietary B 9 , and 2-mL weekly i.m. injection of 10 mg of B 12 (B 8 +/B 9 B 12 +) in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Colostrum was sampled at first milking. and milk samples were collected weekly on 2 consecutive milkings and analyzed for FA composition. Body condition score and BW were recorded every week throughout the trial. Within the first 21 d of lactation, B 8 −/B 9 B 12 + cows had an increased milk yield by 13.5% [45.5 (standard error, SE: 1.8) kg/d] compared with B 8 −/B 9 B 12 − cows [40.1 (SE: 1.9)], whereas B 8 supplement had no effect. Even though body condition score was not affected by treatment, B 8 −/B 9 B 12 + cows had greater BW loss by 24 kg, suggesting higher mobilization of body reserves. Accordingly, milk de novo FA decreased and preformed FA concentration increased in B 8 −/B 9 B 12 + cows com-pared with B 8 −/B 9 B 12 − cows. In addition, cows in the B 8 +/B 9 B 12 − group had decreased milk de novo FA and increased preformed FA concentration compared with B 8 −/B 9 B 12 − cows. Treatment had no effect on colostrum preformed FA concentration. Supplemental B 8 decreased concentrations of ruminal biohydrogenation intermediates and odd-and branched-chain FA in colostrum and milk fat. Moreover, postpartum dry matter intake for B 8 + cows tended to be lower by 1.6 kg/d. These results could indicate ruminal perturbation caused by the B 8 supplement, which was not protected from rumen degradation. Under the conditions of the current study, in contrast to B 8 +/B 9 B 12 − cows, B 8 −/ B 9 B 12 + cows produced more milk without increasing dry matter intake, although these cows had greater body fat mobilization in early lactation as suggested by the FA profile and BW loss.

Combined biotin, folic acid, and vitamin B12 supplementation given during the transition period to dairy cows: Part I. Effects on lactation performance, energy and protein metabolism, and hormones

“…Even though B 8 −/B 9 B 12 + cows produced 13.5% more milk than B 8 −/B 9 B 12 − cows, they only tended to have greater plasma NEFA concentration than control cows. In the companion pa-per, we showed that these cows lost more BW (5.3% of BW for B 8 −/B 9 B 12 + and 2.1% of BW for B 8 −/B 9 B 12 −) within the first 21 DIM (Duplessis et al, 2022). In opposition to the latter results, B 8 +/B 9 B 12 − cows had greater plasma NEFA concentration and BW loss than B 8 −/B 9 B 12 − cows, combined with a nonsignificant milk yield increase and a trend for a decreased DMI.…”

“…Within the first 21 DIM, milk and TS yields and ECM of B 8 −/B 9 B 12 + cows were the highest among treat- (Duplessis et al, 2022). Similarly, Girard and Desrochers (2010) concluded that a dietary supplement of B 8 altered ruminal fermentation, which might suggest that the DMI decline in B 8 + cows could be linked to the possible altered ruminal function with this supplementation.…”

“…(2) the milk FA profile of B 8 + cows showed that this supplement altered ruminal function (Duplessis et al, 2022) and possibly propionate production, causing the same issue as in hypothesis 1. In line with hypothesis 1, Girard et al (2019) observed that plasma MMA concentration decreased with a decrease in DMI.…”

“…In this article, we present milk performance, residual feed intake (RFI), and concentrations of plasma vitamins, energy-related metabolites, hormones, and AA for cows receiving or not a supplementation of B 8 , B 9 , and B 12 , or those 3 vitamins given together. The companion article (Duplessis et al, 2022) focuses on colostrum and milk fatty acid composition, BW, BCS, DMI, and the energy balance of those cows.…”

Assessment of the Effects of Supplemental Rumen Protected B Vitamins and Choline for Periparturient Cows: A Meta-Analysis of 28 Feeding Studies

“…Required for one-carbon metabolism are choline, folic acid and vitamin B12. Recently, Duplessis et al [6] [7] found that weekly injections of folic acid and vitamin B12 beginning prepartum resulted in increased energy corrected milk and numerically lower blood beta hydroxy butyric acid (BHBA) in early lactation. The inclusion of biotin in the diet, on the other hand, did not improve milk production or alter BHBA in these studies.…”