Effects of adding a concentrated pomegranate-residue extract to the ration of lactating cows on in vivo digestibility and profile of rumen bacterial population

• Published in: Journal of dairy science Vol. 95; no. 10; pp. 5996 - 6005
• Main Authors: Jami, E., Shabtay, A., Nikbachat, M., Yosef, E., Miron, J., Mizrahi, I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.10.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - drug effects; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - physiology; Animal productions; Animals; Archaea; bacterial communities; Biological and medical sciences; Cattle - metabolism; Cattle - physiology; crude protein; dairy cows; Diet - veterinary; Dietary Supplements; digestibility; digestibility and performance; Digestion - drug effects; Digestion - physiology; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - genetics; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Food industries; Fruit; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Holstein; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; lactating cow; lactation; Lactation - drug effects; Lactation - physiology; lactic fermentation; methanogens; milk; Milk - chemistry; Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams; milk yield; neutral detergent fiber; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; pomegranate-residue extract; Punicaceae; quantitative polymerase chain reaction; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; Rumen - drug effects; Rumen - microbiology; rumen bacteria; rumen bacterial population; sugars; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates; voluntary intake; lactating cow; rumen bacterial population; pomegranate-residue extract; digestibility and performance; Farming animal; Lactation; Digestive system; Dairy cattle; Ox; Rumen; Extract; Cow; In vivo; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Residue; Dairy industry; Artiodactyla; Performance; Ungulata; Digestibility
• ISSN: 0022-0302; 1525-3198
• DOI: 10.3168/jds.2012-5537

This study characterizes the effects of concentrated pomegranate-peel extract (CPE) addition to the TMR at levels of 1, 2, or 4% on voluntary intake, in vivo digestibility, milk yield and composition, and profile of rumen bacterial and archaeal populations in lactating Holstein cows. Supplementation of CPE significantly affected the abundance of methanogenic archaea and specific ruminal bacterial species related to cellulolytic activities and soluble sugar and lactic acid fermentation, as revealed by real-time PCR quantification. Furthermore, CPE supplementation had a significant dose-dependent effect on the whole ruminal bacterial community, as determined by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis. These changes were accompanied by a significant increase in digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber, as well as milk and energy-corrected milk yields in cows fed the 4% CPE supplement. These results suggest that CPE supplementation significantly affects the rumen bacterial communities, which in turn may be related to a beneficial effect on dairy cow performance.