ARTICLE FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE December 2024 83 ing helped the rumen wall better prepare for the stress encountered around calving (Figure 3). The rumen-specific live yeast improved rumen wall integrity (reinforcing the tight junctions) and resistance to rumen wall inflammation (more resistant to LPS and inflammatory challenges related to diet changes) (Figure 3). The trial results also showed that S. cerevisiae CNCM I-1077 increases energy extraction from the diet to mitigate negative energy balance (NEB); it improved post-calving dry matter intake by 2.5 kg/cow/day and milk production by +6 kg/cow/day. REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS As shown in Figure 2, oxidative stress increases inflammation, supplementation of antioxidant additives would help enhance the production of endogenous antioxidants in the body tissues. Research has proven that selenium-enriched yeast provides the best bioavailable organic Se, an essential cofactor for primary antioxidants. In a trial conducted by Lallemand Animal Nutrition in 2017 at the National Research Institute of Animal Production in Poland, the potential of Se-enriched yeast (ALKOSEL) was confirmed when provided to the cow before parturition on maternal transfer through colostrum and milk. Results showed a significantly higher selenium secretion into colostrum and milk compared to control cows supplemented with an inorganic selenium source. BALANCING LOWER GUT MICROBIOTA The ruminant digestive system consists of the rumen and the lower gut. The intestinal epithelia of the rumen and the lower gut serve both metabolic and barrier integrity roles. The lower gut is a simple columnar epithelium, which consists of both absorptive epithelial cells and a myriad of immune-related cells with extensive defence mechanisms to protect the epithelial barrier. The lower gut is equally important to the rumen during the transition period to ensure the health of the ruminant digestive system. Research conducted at Guelph University and presented at the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) Conference in 2024, assessed the efFigure 3. The effect of live yeast treatment pre-calving on occludin gene expression in the rumen wall and its consequences on rumen wall integrity. Occludins are transmembrane proteins that play a key role in tight junction stability and barrier function (Bach et al., 2018).
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