Effect of pre‐ and post‐partum supplementation with lipid‐encapsulated conjugated linoleic acid on milk yield and metabolic status in multiparous high‐producing dairy cows

Abstract

We evaluated the lactation performance, liver lipid content and plasma metabolites indicating the energy balance of dairy cows supplemented with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) pre- and post-partum (PP) vs. only PP. A total of 60 cows were divided into three groups (n = 20). Daily diet of cows was supplemented with 14 g of CLA (7 g cis-9, trans-11 and 7 g trans-10, cis-12 isomers) from week 3 before the expected date of calving (group CLA1), or from the day of calving (group CLA2) until 77-91 days PP. Control cows were fed an isocaloric, isonitrogenous and isolipidic diet without CLA. Between week 3 and week 6 PP, the milk yield of cows in both CLA-treated groups was approximately 4.5 kg higher (p < 0.05) than in control. Milk fat concentrations decreased from week 3 and were lower in both CLA groups than in control (p < 0.01). Body condition score loss was lower (p < 0.05) in the CLA1 than in the control group on week 5 PP. By week 11 PP, the body condition of both CLA1 and CLA2 groups exceeded that of control. Plasma non-esterified fatty acid was lower in CLA1 compared to CLA2 and control during the early PP period (p < 0.05), while this difference faded away by the late PP period. Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) increased rapidly in all groups following calving. In CLA1 group, it began to decrease sooner than in CLA2 and control. The prevalence of subclinical ketosis (BHBA > 1.2 mm) was lower in CLA1 group than in CLA2 and control (p < 0.05). Liver biopsy analyses showed that CLA1 treatment decreased (p < 0.05) the total lipid content of liver compared to control at week 5 after calving. Our results show that CLA supplementation is more efficient in alleviating body mass mobilization and decreasing the incidence of subclinical ketosis when applied as early as 3 weeks before calving than started feeding after calving.

Hyperglycaemia in transition dairy cows: Effects of lactational stage and conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on glucose metabolism and turnover

“…Dry matter intake was higher in CLA‐fed cows of the present study as observed earlier by Galamb et al. (), whereas other studies showed no effects on DMI (Bernal‐Santos et al., ; Odens et al., ). Furthermore, we did not observe differences in basal plasma concentrations of glucose and free fatty acids between treatment groups confirming earlier results of Perfield et al.…”

“…However, Galamb et al. () could only show this when CLA supplementation started three weeks prior to expected parturition. Von Soosten et al.…”

“…() and Galamb et al. (). Dry matter intake was higher in CLA‐fed cows of the present study as observed earlier by Galamb et al.…”

“…In contrast, Harvatine, Perfield, and Bauman () found the saved energy during a high CLA‐induced MFD partitioned towards the adipose tissue via upregulation of genes involved in lipid synthesis and transport (e.g., lipoprotein lipase, fatty acid synthase, fatty acid binding protein 4). These effects are supposed to alleviate the negative effects of lipid mobilization and ketosis (i.e., lower plasma concentrations of free fatty acids and sooner decline in plasma BHB; Galamb et al., ). However, Galamb et al.…”

“…Galamb et al. () found lower plasma free fatty acid (FFA) and beta‐hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentrations in cows supplemented with CLA beginning 21 days ante partum (a.p.) compared to cows without and with a supplementation starting after parturition.…”