Abstract
Simple SummaryDiarrhea is the main cause of death in newborn calves and is associated with antibiotic use and economic loss for dairy farms. In this study, we evaluated the effects of different sources of the mineral zinc (zinc oxide (ZnO) and zinc methionine (Zn-Met)) on the growth, incidence of diarrhea, tissue zinc accumulation, gene expression of jejunal zinc transporters and serum concentrations of zinc-dependent proteins in newborn Holstein dairy calves. We found that Zn-Met supplementation promoted growth and reduced diarrhea from the second week after birth. It also increased the levels of zinc in the serum and liver, the level of the transporter protein ZIP4 in the jejunal mucosa, as well as the serum alkaline phosphatase and metallothionein concentrations compared to the control group. ZnO supplementation had similar but less marked effects to Zn-Met supplementation. These results suggest that Zn-Met supplementation may be an alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of newborn calf diarrhea.Zinc is considered to be an anti-diarrheal agent, and it may therefore reduce the incidence of diarrhea in young calves. In the present study, we aimed to compare the effect of zinc source on growth performance, the incidence of diarrhea, tissue zinc accumulation, the expression of zinc transporters, and the serum concentrations of zinc-dependent proteins in neonatal Holstein dairy calves. Eighteen male newborn Holstein dairy calves were fed milk and starter diet supplemented with or without 80 mg zinc/d in the form of Zn-Met or ZnO for 14 days, and were then euthanized. Zn-Met supplementation improved average daily gain and feed efficiency, and reduced the incidence of diarrhea, compared with control calves (p < 0.05). It also increased the serum and hepatic zinc concentrations and the mRNA expression of the ZIP4 transporter in the jejunal mucosa of the calves (p < 0.05). In addition, the serum alkaline phosphatase activity and metallothionein concentration were higher in Zn-Met-treated calves than in control calves (p < 0.05). ZnO supplementation had similar effects, but these did not reach significance. Thus, Zn-Met supplementation is an effective means of increasing tissue zinc accumulation and jejunal zinc absorption, and can be used as an anti-diarrheal strategy in neonatal calves.
Highlights
Diarrhea is the primary cause of death in calves, especially during the first two weeks after birth, and this results in the use of antimicrobials and economic loss for dairy farms [1]
We investigated the effects of the same dose of zinc provided in two different forms on tissue zinc accumulation and zinc absorption in dairy calves during the first two weeks after birth by assessing their growth performance, incidence of diarrhea, tissue zinc content, jejunal mucosal zinc transporter expression, and serum concentrations of zinc-dependent proteins
The average daily gain (ADG) was significantly higher in the calves receiving zinc methionine (Zn-Met) supplementation during days 8–14 and across the entire study period than those in the CON group (p < 0.05)
Summary
Diarrhea is the primary cause of death in calves, especially during the first two weeks after birth, and this results in the use of antimicrobials and economic loss for dairy farms [1]. To reduce antimicrobial use on dairy farms, the identification of effective anti-diarrheal agents is of great importance. Zinc is a trace element that is essential for all living organisms [2]. It is an important component of many enzymes that are involved in diverse physiological and cellular functions, including in various immunological, endocrine, neuronal, and reproductive processes [3]. High doses of zinc oxide (ZnO, 2000–4000 mg/kg) have been used to reduce the incidence of diarrhea and promote growth in young animals, but this is associated with the fecal loss of large quantities of zinc [5]. Because of the environmental impact, supplementation with high doses of ZnO was banned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China in 2017
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