Modern high-yielding dairy cows, while genetically superior, exhibit increased susceptibility to metabolic disorders and fertility issues. Maintaining optimal gut health is paramount in mitigating these risks and ensuring efficient nutrient utilization, especially when environmental stressors like heat are present.
Product Manager for Ruminants
Dostofarm
Heat waves and high temperatures pose a significant challenge to dairy cows’ well-being and performance. As animals struggle to regulate their body temperature, feed intake and growth suffer, hindering the realization of their full genetic potential. So, what effective strategies can producers employ to support their dairy cows during these demanding periods?
One promising approach lies in the strategic inclusion of rumen-available and encapsulated oregano oil in the dairy cow ration. This natural solution offers multifaceted benefits, supporting both rumen and intestinal function, which is particularly crucial during periods of heat stress.
THE GUT-PERFORMANCE CONNECTION
Modern high-yielding dairy cows, while genetically superior, exhibit increased susceptibility to metabolic disorders and fertility issues. Maintaining optimal gut health is paramount in mitigating these risks and ensuring efficient nutrient utilization, especially when environmental stressors like heat are present. Essential oils, as natural feed additives, are gaining recognition for their ability to support animal health in a holistic manner.
UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF ESSENTIAL OILS
Essential oils, complex mixtures of volatile aromatic compounds produced by plants, serve various ecological roles, from attracting pollinators to deterring pests and pathogens. Their inherent antimicrobial properties have also garnered attention in animal nutrition.
OREGANO OIL: A NATURAL ALLY AGAINST HEAT STRESS
Among essential oils, oregano essential oil stands out due to its appetizing aroma and its potential to naturally bolster animal health (Reichling et al. 2016). In livestock farming, it acts as a feed additive, enhancing feed palatability and consequently increasing feed intake and digestibility – crucial when heat-stressed animals tend to eat less.
Furthermore, oregano oil, rich in bioactive compounds like carvacrol, exhibits antioxidant, antiviral, and antifungal properties (Leyva-LÓpez et al. 2017). It exerts a modulating and stabilizing influence on the gastrointestinal tract and the intestinal microbiome. Studies in monogastric animals have demonstrated that dietary oregano oil can improve nutrient absorption by optimizing gut morphology, strengthening the intestinal barrier, and reduce the incidence of digestive upsets (Zou et al. 2016).
TARGETING THE ENTIRE DIGESTIVE TRACT WITH DOSTO® BI-ACTIVE
Research has also indicated that oregano essential oil possesses rumen-modifying properties, positively impacting feed efficiency, milk yield, and quality, and even potentially reducing methane production (Dewi Ayu Ratih Daning et al. 2020). However, a significant portion of orally administered oregano oil can be metabolized by rumen microorganisms, limiting its availability in the lower gastrointestinal tract.
To overcome this limitation, DOSTOFARM has developed DOSTO® bi-active, an innovative product combining rumen-protected (via a hardened plant fat matrix encapsulation) and rumen-available oregano oil. The added value of DOSTO® bi-active lies in its ability to release oregano oil along the entire digestive tract of ruminants. Easily soluble carriers ensure an effect in the rumen, while rumen-stable aroma pellets deliver the benefits further down the gastrointestinal tract, similar to its action in monogastric animals.
in the trial and control group
CONVINCING RESULTS IN PRACTICE
Initial findings from practical trials and a master’s thesis reveal that the inclusion of DOSTO® bi-active in dairy cow concentrate or mineral feed led to increased milk yield and improved milk components (fat and protein content). Notably, a positive side effect observed was a reduction in somatic cell counts and the occurrence of ketosis (Figure 1-3).
The combination of encapsulated and non-encapsulated oregano oil in DOSTO® bi-active ensures that the beneficial effects of oregano oil are distributed throughout the digestive system. Beyond enhancing performance and general well-being, the appetizing nature of oregano oil in the ration can be particularly beneficial in supporting the metabolic health of dairy cows during challenging periods such as the critical first phase of lactation or, crucially, during heat stress. By encouraging feed intake and maintaining gut function, DOSTO® bi-active can help cattle better cope with high temperatures and minimize the negative impacts on their health and productivity.
In conclusion, incorporating a combination of rumen-available and rumen-protected oregano oil, as found in DOSTO® bi-active, presents a natural strategy to support cattle, especially in mitigating the detrimental effects of heat stress. By optimizing rumen and intestinal function and encouraging feed intake, this innovative feed additive can contribute to improved well-being and sustained performance, even in high temperatures.
References
1. Leyva-López, N., Gutiérrez-Grijalva, E-P., Vazquez-Olivio, G., Heredia, J.B. (2017): Essential Oils of Oregano: Biological Activity beyond Their Antimicrobial Properties. Molecules (2017), 22 (989): 1 – 24.
2. Reichling, J. Frater-Schröder M., Saller, R., Fitzi-Rathgen, J., Gachnian-Mirtscheva, R. (2016): Heilpflanzenkunde für die Veterinärpraxis. 3. Auflage, Springer.
3. Zou, Y., Yiang, Q., Wang, J., Peng, J., Wei, H. (2016): Oregano Essential Oil Improves Intestinal Morphology and Expression of Tight Junction Proteins Associated with Modulation of Selected Intestinal Bacteria and Immune Status in a Pig Model. BioMed Research International, 2016.
