ARTICLE FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2024 67 LOWER GUT MICROBIOTA, A KEY PARTNER IN HELPING TO MAINTAIN SYSTEMIC GUT HEALTH The colonization of gastrointestinal microbiota is a complex process, and the stable establishment of beneficial microbiota is important at different levels, particularly for the maturation of the mucosal immune system (Chase et al., 2019, Zened et al., 2020). For the young calf, the objective is to strengthen gut immunity to help secure the fragile digestive system and limit diarrhea and respiratory diseases. The gut plays an important role in the immune defense system as innate and acquired immunity are concentrated within the gastrointestinal lymphoid tissue (GALT). GALT gathers up to 70% of the body’s white blood cells. Using nutritional additives to support a balanced immune response can be a winning strategy to support calves during challenges from birth through the postweaning period (Figure 2). In addition, nutritionists should take into account the young calf digestive system. This is the period when the digestive tract of calves undergoes significant and extensive changes as it evolves from its initial monogastric function towards a ruminant function with two main parts: the rumen and the lower gut. WEANING: A STRESSFUL EVENT FOR THE CALF AND ITS DIGESTIVE TRACT During early life, while immunity is still weak (Figure 3), calves experience a lot of external stressors (Figure 2) (transportation, transition from liquid to solid feed, dehorning, etc.). All these stressors increase the risk of morbidity and mortality by making the immune system more vulnerable. This can lead to digestive and respiratory diseases. The major causes of mortality and morbidity are digestive challenges (32% and 51%, respectively) (Urie et al., 2018). HOW TO SUPPORT LOWER GUT DEVELOPMENT IN CALVES THROUGH NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES Using post and prebiotics (such as yeast derivatives) — and a live microorganism probiotic such as a specific live yeast dedicated to gut health — can be applied to focus on calf gut health. The most important consideration is to choose the right ingredient or additive with proven effect to the specific calf challenge. A new generation feed ingredient, YANG — which includes specifically selected yeast fractions (postbiotics) — has been proven to help maintain the health of calves and other young ruminants. YANG is a multi-strain yeast derivative formulated to strengthen animals’ natural defenses with a patented, synergistic effect on the immune response. Observations and samples made through endoscopy show that (Figure 4) calves fed YANG during the pre-weaning period show a pro-anti-inflammatory ratio that is more driven by anti-inflammation with YANG supplementation versus the control group. Figure 3. The immunity gap in calves from birth to weaning Figure 2. Main health challenges for calves
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