ARS | Publication request: Probiotic Bovamine fine-tunes the ruminal microbiome for enhanced fermentation and immunity

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 24, 2012
Publication Date: June 17, 2012
Citation: Osman, M., Stabel, J.R., Dowd, S., Onda, K., Kreikemeier, W., Ware, D., Beitz, D. 2012. Probiotic Bovamine fine-tunes the ruminal microbiome for enhanced fermentation and immunity [abstract]. INRA-Rowett Symposium on Gut Microbiology. p. 101.

Technical Abstract: We evaluated the effect of Bovamine, Lactobacillus acidophilus strain NP51 and Propionibacterium freudenreichii strain strain NP24, feeding on the microbial composition of the digestive system microbiota of dairy cattle during late lactation (average DIM = 202 days on time 0). To examine the underlying mechanisms, we examined the Bovamine immune-modulative effects as well as effects on ruminal fermentation. Dairy cows were randomized to treatment groups that were either fed Bovamine (1 ×10**9 CFU of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain NP51 plus 2 × 10**9 CFU of Propionibacterium freudenreichii· cow-1·day-1) or the lactose carrier mixed with the total mixed ration (TMR) for six weeks. Feeding Bovamine advantageously modified the digestive system microbiome as seen by the bacterial tag encoded FLX amplicon pyrosequencing (bTEFAP) and enhanced the immune system functions. For example, the numbers of NK cells were increased in vitro under ConA stimulation. Also, Bovamine feeding increased the numbers and diversity of the bacterial genera producing ruminal volatile fatty acids (VFA). As a result, concentrations of total VFA were significantly increased. These results suggest that feeding Bovamine to late lactating dairy cows favorably alters their digestive system microbiome, improves their immunity, and enhanced energy harvest with significant implications to transition and early lactation dairy cows.