The influence of an increased cobalt supply to dairy cows on the vitamin B₁₂ status of their calves

Abstract

In the experiment the influence of an elevated oral cobalt supply (Co content in the ration 0.27 mg Co/kg DM; supplement of 0.14 mg Co/kg DM as CoSO(4)) to pregnant dairy cows on the vitamin B(12) concentration in milk, colostrum and vitamin B(12) status of their calves was tested in comparison with unsupplemented controls (0.13 mg Co/kg DM). While there was no significant difference in vitamin B(12) concentration in the at 70th day of lactation (start of the experiment; 3.77 +/- 1.41 vs. 3.66 +/- 1.03 ng/ml) and 290th day of lactation (almost drying off; 4.75 +/- 3.05 vs. 4.44 +/- 0.96 ng/ml), cobalamin concentration in the milk colostrum showed a tendency towards a higher cobalt content in the ration of the supplemented cows in comparison with the controls (21.0 +/- 8.4 vs. 16.7 +/- 11.9 ng/ml). Differences in the vitamin B(12) concentration in the serum of the newborn calves before and after ingestion of colostrum were not detected. From these results it can be concluded that cobalt content of 0.13 mg Co/kg DM in the ration based on wilted grass silage seems to be sufficient for pregnant dairy cows.

Effect of glycine and vitamin supplementation on sulphur amino acid utilization by growing cattle

“…Kennedy and colleagues (1995) induced vitamin B 12 deficiency by decreasing dietary cobalt and reported hepatic vitamin B 12 concentrations of 0.11 and 0.88 μ g/g for cobalt vitamin B 12 deficient and control cattle respectively. Stemme and colleagues (2002) observed hepatic vitamin B 12 concentrations to range from 0.51 to 0.64 μ g/g in non‐supplemented dairy cows and from 0.64 to 0.75 μ g/g in those receiving supplemental cobalt. Rammell and Poole (1974) measured hepatic vitamin B 12 concentrations in healthy cattle from New Zealand and found the normal range to be from 0.70 to 1.98 μ g/g.…”

Relationship between Vitamin B12 and Cobalt Metabolism in Domestic Ruminant: An Update

“…However, the extra addition of cobalt (0.29-mg Co/kg DM) resulted in higher amounts of vitamin B12 in the duodenal chyme (cobalt content in the duodenal chyme) and with considerable individual differences [ 20 ]. Neither did extra oral cobalt supplementation in the ration of pregnant dairy cows, although it caused slightly higher cobalamin concentrations in the serum of the cows, result in an increase in the levels of vitamin B12 in the serum of their calves [ 18 ]. Perhaps this was due to the fact that the cobalt content in the ration of dairy cows (0.27-mg Co/kg DM and higher than current recommendations) was higher than in control cows (which received 0.13 mg of Co/kg of DM) and that this last value was lower than the current recommendation on Co supplementation, around 0.20-mg Co/kg DM [ 18 , 80 , 87 ].…”

“…While vegetables cannot synthesize this vitamin, humans and most monogastric animals (exclusive animals with cecotrophy or coprophagia) require cobalt in its active form (vitamin B12). However, in adult ruminants, vitamin B12 is produced during the microbial fermentation of food in the stomachs and, mainly, in the rumen [ 18 ]. The ruminal flora—that is, the microorganisms, bacteria and yeasts present in the rumen—can synthesize vitamin B12, provided that the cobalt concentration in the ruminal fluid is higher than 0.5 mg/mL, while if this level is not reached, the ruminal synthesis of vitamin B12 remains inhibited, reducing its contribution to blood and other tissue [ 6 , 9 , 19 , 20 ].…”

“…In young ruminants (preruminant lambs and calves) up to the ages of six to eight weeks, the rumen is not fully developed and not functional for the synthesis of this vitamin [ 18 ]. Therefore, they require a dietary source of vitamin B12, such as colostrum, milk or milk replacers [ 18 , 20 ]. In contrast, adult domestic ruminants do not necessarily depend on a dietary source of vitamin B12, because ruminal microorganisms are capable of synthesizing vitamin B12 from Co [ 24 ].…”

Milk as an indicator of dietary imbalance

“…Franco‐Lopez et al 47 found that plasma concentrations of B 12 were the best predictor for milk concentrations in individual cows ( r = 0.24); however, the correlation of total yield of vitamin B 12 in milk with plasma concentrations was greater than for the concentration in milk ( r = 0.43), a finding that supported Duplessis et al 48 The relatively low correlation between the plasma and milk concentrations may be consistent with the poor correlation for vitamin B 12 between plasma and liver concentrations. Further, Stemme et al 49 found that increasing Co to 0.27 mg/kg of DMI did not increase milk B 12 concentrations above those for cows receiving 0.13 mg/kg of DMI. Karlengen et al 50 noted no difference in milk Co concentrations despite increasing Co intake more than 1000‐fold, indicating little potential for the use of milk Co as a diagnostic tool, a finding consistent with previous studies 51 .…”