RECENT ADVANCES IN ROLE OF B-VITAMINS IN RUMINANTS

 

Dr.Diptanu Das^1*and Dr.Sudhanya Nath²

¹PG Scholar, Department of Animal Nutrition,College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University,Selesih, Aizawl, Mizoram – 796014

²PhD Scholar, Department of Animal Nutrition, West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences, Kolkata, West Bengal – 700037

 

* Correspondence:diptanudas5555@gmail.com

 

INTRODUCTION

The term ‘vitamine’ was given by a Polish scientist in the year 1912. Vitamins are organic compounds, present in minute amounts in foods and feedstuffs, which are needed for maintenance of physiological functions. B complex vitamins perform a variety of functions in the body. Most of the research studying the requirements of ruminants for B-vitamins was conducted almost a century ago.Earlier there was a misconception that vitamin B was produced in sufficient quantity within the rumen by rumen microbes. Recent researchers reported that major cellulolytic organisms in the rumen had specific requirements for certain B vitamins. High producing cattle also require a higher amount of vitamins to maintain their productivity and health. Sub-clinical vitamin deficiencies often go unnoticed due to the lack of proper clinical symptoms.Each of the B-vitamins plays a key role as either an enzymatic co-factor or metabolic constituent in many facets of intermediary metabolism. These B-vitamins are also important for metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.Folic acid, cobalamin, and choline are important for cell maintenance and growth and/or blood cell synthesis.

Biotin (Vit-B7)

• Kogl and Tonnis called this as “Biotin” which was earlier referred as vitamin H.
• Active form is biocitine.
• Function: Serve as a prosthetic group of several enzymes which catalyse energy dependent fixation of co2 to various compounds.
• Source: Cereals –     40 to 60%

Maize-    100%

Green crops-  100%

Responses to supplementation

• Approximately 20 mg of biotin/d to dairy cows Increase hoofhorn quality and promote hoofhorn formation.
• 20mg/day of biotin supplementation of diets of lactating cows resulted in increased DMI, milk yield, milk fat and protein yield.
• Biotin (20mg/day for 100 DIM) increased milk production by 1.29 kg per head per day.
• Milk production and milk protein production increased linearly with the inclusion of 10 or 20 mg of biotin/cow/day in early lactation.
• Biotin and vit B12 given together increased milk production and milk protein yields.
• Cows fed biotin @30mg/d had higher milk protein yield (6 and 8 wk) and lactose yield, compared with animals without biotin.
• Biotin is also required for certain rumen bacteria and specifically for propionic acid synthesis.
• Increased milk production when high-producing, early-lactation cows are fed 20 mg of supplemental biotin per day.
• Biotin play important role in the production and maintenance of healthy keratinized tissues.
• Hoof health was improved when dairy cattle were fed 10-20 mg per head supplemental biotin daily.
• Supplemental biotin provided at about 20 mg/day has consistently improved hoof health and increased milk production.

Niacin (Vit-B3)

• First isolated by Casimir funk, from rice polish.
• Chemically it is known as pyridine-3-carboxilic acid.
• Functions: Carbohydrate,lipid& protein metabolism.
  Photosynthesis and Rhodopsin synthesis.
• Sources: Dietary niacin; conversion of tryptophan to niacin; and ruminal synthesis of niacin.

Responses to Supplementation

• Beef Cattle: 70 ppm supplemented niacin significantly improve average daily gain and feed efficiency.
• Cow:
  Ketosis:
• 14gm/day Niacin supplementation may reduce metabolic disorders such as ketosis and fatty liver which can affect longevity and productivity in dairy cattle.
• Positive effects on prevention of ketosis when Jersey cows were fed 48 g of nicotinic acid/day from 30 d prepartum until calving.
• Supplementing ketotic dairy cows with 12 gm doses of nicotinic acid daily had a beneficial effect on the reversal of both subclinical and clinical ketosis.
• 5 g/day RPNi feeding tended to decrease ketosis prevalence from 36% to 20

SARA (subacuteruminal acidosis):
Supplementation of niacin @ 800mg/kg concentrate diet of cattle reverse the symptoms of SARA.

Milk production:

Feeding nicotinamide during the close-up period reduced early lactation culling and increased fat-corrected milk yield.At 12 g/d of supplemental niacin, 3.5% fat-corrected milk increased about 1 lb/d, fat yield was increased 26 g/d and milk protein yield was increased 17 g/d.24gm/d Niacin supplementation over the entire lactation period positively affected the milk yield of primiparous cows, total SCFA concentration, and the molar proportion of propionic acid in rumen fluid.

Response to heat stress:

Cows given encapsulated niacin, had higher sweating rates and lower core temperatures during acute thermal stress.Supplementation of niacin is beneficial in postpartum dairy animals under heat stress and negative energy balance.Improved conception rates in cows supplemented with niacin at 6 g/day.Supplementation of nicotinamide @45g/day increase prepartumdrymatter intake and decrease body weight loss.

Lambs:

100 ppm niacin fed to growing and finishing lambs Stimulates rumen microbial protein synthesis.                                               1g niacin/day for 4wks induce muscle fiber transition from type II to type I, and enhance capacity of skeletal muscle to utilize fatty acids.

Blood parameters:

• Increased blood glucose levels & decreased blood ketone bodies.
• Evaluation of blood plasma parameters showed that 14 g niacin supplementation resulted in a significantly higher glucose concentration.

12g/d RPNi increased plasma and milk niacin concentrations in a linear manner.

Thiamin (Vit-B1)

• Oldest vitamin discovered in the year 1973 by Eijkman.
• Consist of pyrimidine &thiazole ring.
• Very sensitive to alkali.
• Antagonist: Thiaminase enzyme,Synthetic compounds.
• Storage: Liver & kidney.
• Excretion: Through urine.
• Function:

1. Oxidative decarboxylation.
   Pyruvate → acetyl-CoA + CO2,
   Alpha-ketoglutaric acid → succinyl-CoA + CO2.
2. Thiamin plays an important role in glucose metabolism.
3. Thiaminfunction in nervous tissue.
   Synthesis of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter;
   Passive transport of sodium (Na+).
4. Insulin biosynthesis.

• Source: Brewer’s yeast is the richest known natural source of thiamin. Cereal grains and their byproducts, soybean meal, cottonseed meal and peanut meal are relatively rich sources of thiamin.

Responses to supplementation

• Supplementing dietary thiamin at the rate of 150 to 300 mg/d per cow increased milk and component production.
• Feeding 500 mg of thiamin per head per day for 30 days reduced the effects of thermal stress in cattle.

Polioencephalomalacia (PEM):

• In acute PEM, 1,000 mg per day of injected thiamin is indicated until the animals resume eating, then 500 mg per day can be supplemented in the diet for 7 to 14 days.
• If treated promptly by parenteral injection of thiamin 2.2 mg/kg BW, the condition can be reversed.
• An oral dose of 6.6 to 11 mg per kg body weight, repeated every six hours for 24 hours, for PEM therapy in goats

Riboflavin (Vit-B2)

• Also called as vitamin G.
• Riboflavin exists in nature in 3 forms: free dinucleotide riboflavin and the two coenzyme derivatives, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD).
• Riboflavin is an odorless, bitter, orange-yellow compound that melts at about 280°C.
• Storage: Liver, the major site of storage.
• Excretion: Urine, faeces, bile and sweat.
• Functions:
• Utilization of CHO, Protein & Fat.
• Function in the cellular respiration.
• Amino acid metabolism.
• Saturation and desaturation of fatty acids.
• Sources:Green plants, yeast, fungi and some bacteria synthesize riboflavin.

Responses to supplementation

• I/M inj. of riboflavin @ 10 mg/kg bw in calves; 5 mg/kg BW in cows increased blood neutrophil count and bactericidal activity.
• I/M inj. of 2.5mg riboflavin per kg BW significantly decrease SCC in quarter milk.

Folic acid

• Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate (vitamin B-9)
• It is also called teroylmonoglutamic acid or pteroylglutamic acid
• Tetrahydrofolate(THF) or folinic acid
• Vitamin is stored primarily in the liver of the developing fetus.
• Sources:Folic acid is widely distributed in nature.
  Egg yolk, cow’s liver and orange juice and lowest in yeast.
• Functions:
• Transfer of single carbon unit,
• Inter conversion of amino acid,
• Synthesis of purine,
• Degradation of histidine,
• Degradation of methyl group,
• Folic acid is required for normal immune function.

Responses to supplementation

• Total serum folates decreased by 40% from around breeding to parturition.
• Folic acid @ 160mg/cow/week increase serum folate.

For which-

Milk production increased by 1.5 kg/d.

Milk protein increased from 3.2% to 3.5%.

Prevents anaemia.

Choline

• In 1849 Adolph Strecker, a German chemist, isolated from pig bile.
• Choline is a β-hydroxyethyltrimethylammonium hydroxide.
• Mainly found as bound form of phospholipid.
• Choline is rich in soyameal, fishmeal and dried yeast.
• Functions:
• Choline functions in four broad categories in the animal body.
• Building and maintaining cell structure.
• Role in fat metabolism in the liver.
• Essential for the formation of acetylcholine.
• Source of labile methyl groups.

Responses to supplementation

• Beneficial to young ruminants.
• Prevent fatty liver.
• Supplementation of 12g choline/day improves milk production (1.2 kg/day) in the first 60 days of lactation.
• Providing 20g choline chloride increase plasma α-tocopherol.
• During the first 6 weeks of lactation, milk yield and 4% FCM were increased in RPC supplemented (4g/day) goats.
• Growth rate was increased in Angora goats when fed with 3g RPC/day.
• Feeding dairy cows RPC and methionine indicated an improved reproductive performance.
• RPC fed at 50g/day increased milk production and reduced liver fat.
• Choline supplementation has a positive effect on milk yield and milk protein content.

Vitamin B12

• Two primary coenzyme forms, adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin.
• Contain metal ion i.e. cobalt.
• 3% of dietary cobalt is converted to vitamin B12.
• Storage: liver and other tissues.
• Functions:
• Transfer or synthesis of one-carbon units.
• Purine and pyrimidine synthesis;
• Transfer of methyl groups;
• Formation of proteins from amino acids;
• Carbohydrate and fat metabolism.

Responses to supplementation

• IM injections of 10 mg of vitamin B12 were found to be beneficial for milk production and milk component yields.
• Weekly injection of VB12 (10 mg), increased DMI and lactation performance and reduced BW loss of dairy cows.
• Milk replacer for dairy calves should contain 0.11 mg of cobalt/kg.
• Supplementary vitamin B12 increased energy-corrected milk, packed cell volume, and blood haemoglobin in cow.
• Decreased the interval between calving and the first insemination. Lost less body weight during the first 60 days in milk.
• IM injection of vitamin B12 @100 µg/week, produced a rapid remission of all signs of deficiency in lambs.

CONCLUSION

Research on B-vitamin requirements of ruminants is still in its very early stage. In addition to the methodological problems for reliable vitamin determination, there is a whole new research field to be conquered. The number of published studies on production and metabolic responses of dairy cows to Production and metabolic responses of dairy cows to B-vitamin supplements are highly variable. The major challenge to overcome presently is being able to predict B-vitamin supply. If the basal supply is adequate, a positive effect of a B-vitamin supplement is unlikely, whereas a positive response to supplementation can be expected if the supply is sub-optimal. Consequently, B-vitamin adequate intake recommendations for dairy cows will vary according to their total supply, i.e. the amounts of vitamins from dietary sources escaping degradation in the rumen and the amounts of vitamins synthesized in the rumen. Prediction of the fate of B vitamins in the rumen according to diet chemical composition is therefore essential to establish such recommendations.Among all the vit-B complexes, Biotin, niacin and thiamine are mostly studied vitamin and had better effect in ruminants. Vit-B complexes improve the microbial growth and activity in the rumen, enhance the host nutritional status, boost the host immunity & health and increase milk production & milk component.