Abstract
Prepartum supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may influence lipolysis and hyperketonemia in dairy cows. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of prepartum CLA supplementation on lactation performance and serum fatty acids (FA) and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in early lactation dairy cows, and secondarily on reproductive performance. Multiparous cows were enrolled in the study at 18 days prior to expected calving date, and randomly assigned 100 g/day of Lutrell Pure (BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany; 75% FA), providing 10 g/day of each CLA isomer (trans-10 cis-12 and cis-9 trans-11 CLA) or equivalent amount of rumen inert fatty acids as control (78 g/day of Energy Booster 100; Milk Specialties Global, Eden Prairie, MN). Treatments were top dressed daily to individual cows from enrollment to calving and all cows were offered the same ration. Blood samples were collected on the first day of supplementation, 10 days prepartum, and 1, 7, 14, and 30 days postpartum. Hyperketonemia was defined as serum BHB ≥ 1.2 mM. Milk yield was recorded daily until 60 days postpartum and averaged weekly. Milk samples were obtained weekly for component analysis. Prepartum CLA supplementation tended to increase serum concentration of cis-9, trans-11 CLA and increased trans-10, cis-12 CLA prepartum. Cows supplemented with CLA had increased milk protein yield and tended to have increased milk fat yield and milk yield, which together resulted in greater energy content of milk. Cows supplemented with CLA had lower serum FA on day 1 and 7 postpartum and overall lower serum BHB postpartum, which resulted in decreased prevalence of hyperketonemia on day 14 postpartum. There were no differences in body condition score change, other health disorders, or reproductive outcomes by treatment. Together, these findings indicate that prepartum CLA supplementation may be a plausible strategy to positively influence postpartum performance.
Highlights
Physiological changes during pregnancy in dairy cows, coupled with negative energy balance, results in mobilization of body reserves during the transition from gestation to lactation
Supplementation of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) pre- and postpartum reduced plasma fatty acids (FA) during the early postpartum period compared to cows only supplemented after calving with the same doses of CLA or no supplementation [8]
The authors attributed the lower plasma FA in cows supplemented pre-and postpartum to a lower Body condition scores (BCS) loss observed, suggesting that these effects required either prepartum or both pre- and postpartum CLA supplementation
Summary
Physiological changes during pregnancy in dairy cows, coupled with negative energy balance, results in mobilization of body reserves during the transition from gestation to lactation. Production of ketone bodies beyond oxidative capacities of tissues results in hyperketonemia (HYK), which is associated with negative impacts on production, fertility, and health in dairy cows [3, 4]. Supplementation of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in the early postpartum period is a possible strategy to decrease negative energy balance and improve postpartum metabolic health by reducing milk fat secretion [5,6,7]. This scenario is undesirable by many dairy producers who sell milk in component compensated markets. The use of this strategy would not likely decrease milk fat synthesis since the half-life of plasma trans-10, cis-12 CLA and the half-life of enzymes responsible for milk fat synthesis subject to regulation by this CLA isomer are less than 3 days [9,10,11]
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