RESEARCH WORK

Effect of the Sorbial® probiotic on the productive performance and health of grazing calves

Mildrey Soca¹, F. Ojeda¹, E.R. Canchila² y Maylin Soca³
1 Estación Experimental de Pastos y Forrajes "Indio Hatuey"
Central España Republicana CP 44280, Matanzas, Cuba
E-mail: mildrey.soca@indio.atenas.inf.cu
2 Instituto Universitario de la Paz. Barrancabermeja, Santander del Sur, Colombia
3 Centro de Cirugía Experimental. Escuela de Medicina "Victoria de Girón", Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the use of Sorbial® probiotics on the productive performance and health of grazing calves, this study was conducted at the EEPF "Indio Hatuey", during a year (rainy and dry seasons). Two treatments were evaluated: A) commercial concentrate plus 100 g of probiotic, and B) commercial concentrate (control treatment). The bromatological composition, live weight, mean daily gain (MDG), fecal egg count (FEC) of gastrointestinal nematodes and hematological profile were analyzed. With the use of probiotic neither negative actions on animal health, nor gastrointestinal diseases (diarrhea), were observed. The live weight showed significant differences (P<0,05), favoring the animals of the experimental group as compared to the control. Likewise, a significant effect (P<0,05) was observed during the rainy season in the animals that ate probiotics (758 g/ani-mal/day). On the other hand, the FEC did not show significant differences; the hematological indicators had a similar performance, between groups, being within the permissible ranges for this animal category. To study further this topic in future research is recommended.

Key words: Calves, probiotics.

INTRODUCTION

Calves are subject to important stress factors linked to the environment in which they grow. Among the most frequent ones are: weaning, low quality of concentrates, extreme (hot or cold) temperatures, vaccination, change of site and excessive use of antibiotics (Bernadeau and Robert, 2004).

For such reason, the use of probiotics in the diets, capable of improving the digestive capacity and quality of feedstuffs in calves, may constitute an essential action for their future growth and, even more important, achieve superior immunological status, which would allow suppressing the use of drugs in this stage of life.

In contrast with antibiotics, probiotics emerged (feed additives) which may be living or dead microorganisms, or substances which contribute to maintain a favorable ecological balance in the intestine and good functioning of the immune system (González and Gómez, 2001).

Several studies have been conducted on this topic, mainly in poultry (Blanco, 2007) and pigs (Álvarez, 2009). However, it is necessary to do further research on the use of these bioproducts in calves, because they can guarantee an improvement in the utilization efficiency of feed and the integral health of the animals (Bernadeau et al., 2000).

Taking into consideration the above-explained facts, this study was conducted, in order to show the use of the Sorbial® probiotic on the productive performance and health of grazing calves.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The studies were conducted at the research facility "Sustainable livestock production" of the EEPF "Indio Hatuey" (in the Perico municipality, Matanzas province), which is located at 20º 50' latitude north and 79º 32' longitude west, at an altitude of 19 masl.

Treatments and experimental design. Two treatments were evaluated, with a completely randomized design: A) commercial concentrate plus 100 g of Sorbial® probiotic, and B) commercial concentrate (control treatment), during the rainy and dry seasons, respectively, with access to grazing.

Characteristics of the Sorbial® probiotic. The probiotic used in this essay is from the French firm Sorbial; it contains a mixture of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus acidophilus, lyophilized and imbibed on a solid support based on cereals, according to the properties declared by its manufacturers. Its bromatological and microbiological characteristics are shown in table 1; while the organoleptic characteristics are defined as: white-yellowish powder, homogeneous in texture, with characteristic odor of defatted soy meal and lactic inoculums, without the presence of filamentous fungi.

Animal management and feeding. Young Holstein x Zebu cattle were used, homogeneously distributed in the treatments, six months old as average at the beginning of the experiment and with a live weight around 60 kg, which were switched at the beginning of each season, according to the experimental protocol.

Both groups grazed together in 12 paddocks which had an approximate area of 0,25 ha each, with a strip allowing access of the animals to water and mineral salts. The grazing hours were between 7:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Since that moment, they remained confined in sheds with free access to the supplied feedstuffs.

The pasture management was always equal during the whole experimental stage, with a rotation of 36 days, three days of permanence and 33 resting days. The floristic composition of the pastureland is shown in table 2 and for its determination the step method, described by Anon (1980), was used.

Each experimental group was represented by 10 animals and the basal diet was: commercial concentrate for calves, pasture (from grazing), mineral salts, hay and ground fresh sugarcane. Feeding balances were periodically made to correct any nutritional deficit present in animal growth.

Experimental measurements

Live weight. A fixed mechanical scale was used. The weighing was made every 30 days, in 100% of the animals in the trial. The weight was estimated during the morning hours and the animals had not eaten.

Parasitological studies. In order to determine the parasite rate by gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) the modified McMaster's technique was used, described by Arece et al. (2002). The samplings were monthly conducted, in the morning, on 100% of the evaluated animals. The samples were directly extracted from the rectum, put in nylon bags without oxygen and transferred to the laboratory for their evaluation.

To determine the parasite genera present in the herd, the stool test technique, described by Soca et al. (2007), was used.

Hematological studies. The studies were bimonthly conducted. Whole blood was extracted from each animal by venopuncture of the jugular with anticoagulant (EDTA). For determining the hematocrit (capillaries centrifugation method) and the leucogram (percentage of neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes and monocytes), the methodology described by Figueredo et al. (2010) was used.

Feed intake. The offer-reject ratio was estimated with the use of a 25-kg dynamometer, for which the feedstuffs were weighed before and after being supplied to the animals. Each experimental period was preceded by a 15-day adaptation one. The sampling frequency was four observations per month.

Statistical analysis. For the variance analysis and the calculations of the dispersion stadigraphs the statistical pack SPSS version 10.0.1 for Windows® was used. For mean comparison Duncan's multiple range test was used, with a significance level of P<0,05 (Machado Sampaio, 2002).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The studies proved that there was neither negative effect with the application of Sorbial® probiotic on the health of the animals from the experimental group, nor gastrointestinal diseases (diarrhea) or abnormal symptoms that would show some variation contrary to the animal behavior of this species.

This coincides with the report made by German et al. (2001), who stated that probiotic bacteria exert the following positive effects: protection of lactose digestion; modulation of the immune system; benefits for stomach, intestinal and urinary tract health, and the decrease of diarrhea, among others. Likewise, Schneider et al. (2000) ascribed to them effects on the better integration of the body tissues and the increase of blood regeneration and others.

Figure 1 shows the performance of live weight during the evaluation period, which was significantly higher (P<0,05) in the animals which ate probiotics, as compared to those fed only with concentrates.

Probiotics, by stabilizing the microbiological system in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) improve nutrient digestibility and allow a higher absorption range (Gunther, 1995). This introduces an anabolism which promotes body weight gain and reduces the feed quantity per kilogram of weight gain.

González (2000) stated that probiotics stimulate the protective functions of the digestive tract; they are also known as biotherapeutical, bioprotector or bioprophylactic, and they are used to prevent enteric and gastrointestinal infections. Similar results were reported by Knudsen (2000), who explained that the use of these bacteria cultures promotes growth and reduces affectations due to stressing conditions, in calves.

On the other hand, the mean daily gain only showed significant differences (P<0,05) during the rainy season, in the animals that consumed probiotics (758 g/animal/day) with regards to the control group (fig. 2), which could have been related to the higher quality and digestibility of forages during that season.

These results are similar to the ones reported by Pérez and Pérez (2011) for this same category, but higher than the ones obtained by Marín et al. (2010) when evaluating the BIOPRANAL probiotic, which contributed weight gains of 546,7 g/animal/day. The differences could have been related to the age of the animals, because they were newborn calves; while those used in this study were weaned animals.

The parasite rate by gastrointestinal nematodes (expressed in eggs per grams of feces) did not show significant differences between treatments for the season; however, in the experimental groups the averages were lower than in the control group (fig. 3).

Several authors (Coop and Kyriazakis, 2001; Houdijk and Athanasiadou, 2003) stated that there is a close relation between the decrease of parasite rate and the increase of weight gain, when the animals are adequately fed.

The hematological indicators had a very similar performance, without significant differences between the groups, and are within the permissible ranges for this animal category (Figueredo et al., 2010). Although it would be valuable to continue studying this, the results indicate that the use of probiotics, seemingly, does not modify the blood profile of the animals (table 3).

According to Sandoval et al. (2007) hematological indicators constitute a paraclinic test that allows learning the relation between health disorders and nutritional deficiencies. Thus, they are an expression of animal welfare in livestock production ecosystems.

When evaluating the supply/intake ratio for each of the feedstuffs that were part of the animal diet, both groups were observed to consume 100% of the concentrate, with or without probiotics. Regarding the other feedstuffs, the behavior was different, with higher intake in the control group, reaching values higher than 90% for ground sugarcane and 95% for hay (fig. 4).

However, in the experimental group the animals consumed 20% less as compared to the control, from which it could be inferred that the presence of probiotics improves the utilization of feedstuffs, especially of those with high fiber content; thus, with lower DM ingestions the requirements of the animals can be covered.

The results allow concluding that the use of the Sorbial® probiotic does not produce negative actions on animal health; significant differences were found regarding live weight and mean daily gain in those which ate probiotic, as compared to the control group.