Tributyrin administration improves intestinal development and health in pre-weaned dairy calves fed milk replacer

Shuai Liu; Junda Wu; Zhaohai Wu; Gibson Maswayi Alugongo; Muhammad Zahoor Khan; Jinghui Li; Jianxin Xiao; Zhiyuan He; Yulin Ma; Shengli Li; Zhijun Cao

Animal Nutrition (Sep 2022)

Tributyrin administration improves intestinal development and health in pre-weaned dairy calves fed milk replacer

Shuai Liu,
Junda Wu,
Zhaohai Wu,
Gibson Maswayi Alugongo,
Muhammad Zahoor Khan,
Jinghui Li,
Jianxin Xiao,
Zhiyuan He,
Yulin Ma,
Shengli Li,
Zhijun Cao

Affiliations

Shuai Liu: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Junda Wu: Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guizhou 550005, China
Zhaohai Wu: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Gibson Maswayi Alugongo: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Muhammad Zahoor Khan: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan, 29220, Pakistan
Jinghui Li: Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Jianxin Xiao: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Zhiyuan He: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Yulin Ma: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Shengli Li: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Zhijun Cao: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Corresponding author.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10
pp. 399 – 411

Abstract

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Butyrate and its derivatives possess various nutritional and biological benefits for mammals, whereas its effects on dairy calves have not been well characterized. This study evaluated the effects of tributyrin administration on blood immune, intestinal immune and barrier functions, and microbial composition of pre-weaned dairy calves. Twenty newborn Holstein bull calves were randomly assigned into a control group (no tributyrin supplementation, CON; n = 10) or a treatment group (supplemented with tributyrin at 2 g/L of milk, TRB; n = 10). The results showed that diarrhea frequency was decreased significantly by tributyrin administration from d 29 to 56 (P 3.5, P < 0.05), which was negatively associated with inflammatory gene expression (TLR2 and IL-1β) but positively associated with intestinal barrier genes (claudin-4) and morphological parameters (P < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementing tributyrin in milk replacer could improve intestinal development and health of pre-weaned dairy calves by stimulating SCFA-producing bacteria colonization, enhancing intestinal barrier functions and suppressing inflammatory responses.

Published in Animal Nutrition

ISSN: 2405-6545 (Print)
Publisher: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Country of publisher: China
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Animal culture
Website: https://www.keaipublishing.com/en/journals/animal-nutrition/

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