Effects of probiotic supplementation on milk production, blood metabolite profile and enzyme activities of ewes during lactation

Farokh Kafilzadeh,Shahab Payandeh,Pilar Gómez-Cortés,Darab Ghadimi,Achille Schiavone,Andrés L Martínez Marín

doi:10.1080/1828051x.2018.1496040

Abstract

There is scarce information regarding the effects of probiotics in the diet of lactating ewes on milk yield and composition as well as on metabolite concentrations and enzyme activities in blood. Sixteen Sanjabi ewes, kept under the same feeding and management practices, were divided in two equal groups. The ewes in the first group were fed a diet without probiotics, while the ewes of the second group were fed the same diet supplemented with two grams of commercial probiotics (PrimaLac® 454 Feed grade, containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, 2.5 × 107 CFU/g; Lactobacillus casei, 2.5 × 107 CFU/g; Bifidobacterium thermophilum, 2.5 × 107 CFU/g; Enterococcus faecium, 2.5 × 107 CFU/g). Milk yield measurements, milk composition and blood plasma analyses were carried out at the fourth, eighth and twelfth week of lactation. Probiotics had no effects (p>.05) on any of the examined variables during the first two-thirds of lactation. In the last third of lactation, probiotic supplemented ewes showed an increase (p<.05) of aspartate aminotransferase activity in blood plasma (209 versus 98 U/L) as well as higher (p<.05) yields of milk (503 versus 312 g/d), fat (34.8 versus 22.2 g/d), protein (33.1 versus 20.3 g/d) and lactose (22.4 versus 13.9). In conclusion, probiotics barely affected blood plasma metabolite contents and enzyme activities, but positive effects on milk yield and its components were observed during the last third of lactation. Further research would be needed to determine whether the supplementation of ewe diet with probiotics is advisable for sustainable livestock farming systems.

Highlights

Probiotics are single or mixed cultures of live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host (FAO/ WHO 2001)
HDL: high density lipoprotein; LDL: low density lipoprotein; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; ALP: alkaline phosphatase; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase; SEM: standard error of the mean; CON: diet without probiotics; PRO: diet supplemented with two grams of PrimaLacVR probiotics
The inconsistency of the results reported in the literature with regard to the effects of probiotic supplementation to ewes on blood parameters might be related to the type and composition of the probiotic tested, nature of the diet, sheep breed, and animal physiological status and level of performance

Summary

Introduction

Probiotics are single or mixed cultures of live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host (FAO/ WHO 2001). Probiotic supplementation could be a valuable biotechnological tool to contribute to sustainable ruminant production (Pulina et al 2017). Several types of microorganisms can been included in probiotic supplements for ruminants, being Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Bacillus and Saccharomyces the most widely used (Gaggia et al 2010). Few studies have dealt with the effects of probiotics on milk production and blood biochemical parameters of dairy ewes, and the most studied one has been Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Masek et al 2008a, 2008b; Milewski and Sobiech 2009; Macedo et al 2012; Mousa et al 2012). It has been observed in wethers that, under induced subacute rumen acidosis, bacterial probiotics cause some changes in the microbial populations and

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