This document discusses vitamins that are important for ruminants. It notes that fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are absorbed from feeds, while water soluble vitamins can be synthesized in the rumen or tissues of ruminants. The key vitamins that may require supplementation in ruminant diets are vitamins A, D, and E. The document provides details on the functions, requirements, deficiency symptoms, and considerations for supplementing each of these vitamins for various classes of ruminants.
This document discusses vitamins that are important for ruminants. It notes that fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are absorbed from feeds, while water soluble vitamins can be synthesized in the rumen or tissues of ruminants. The key vitamins that may require supplementation in ruminant diets are vitamins A, D, and E. The document provides details on the functions, requirements, deficiency symptoms, and considerations for supplementing each of these vitamins for various classes of ruminants.
This document discusses vitamins that are important for ruminants. It notes that fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are absorbed from feeds, while water soluble vitamins can be synthesized in the rumen or tissues of ruminants. The key vitamins that may require supplementation in ruminant diets are vitamins A, D, and E. The document provides details on the functions, requirements, deficiency symptoms, and considerations for supplementing each of these vitamins for various classes of ruminants.
This document discusses vitamins that are important for ruminants. It notes that fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are absorbed from feeds, while water soluble vitamins can be synthesized in the rumen or tissues of ruminants. The key vitamins that may require supplementation in ruminant diets are vitamins A, D, and E. The document provides details on the functions, requirements, deficiency symptoms, and considerations for supplementing each of these vitamins for various classes of ruminants.
Vitamins Organic compounds required in trace amounts for biological processes Vital amine Fat soluble A, D, E, and K Absorbed with lipids
Water soluble C, B family
Vitamins Fat soluble Vitamins A, D, E and K Water soluble Thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin C, choline
Water soluble vitamins and vitamin K can be synthesized in
the rumen or in body tissues Dietary requirements: Vitamins A, D, and E
Vitamin Nutrition of Ruminants
Important 1. Some vitamins must be supplemented in the diet 2. Several aspects of vitamin nutrition unique to ruminants 3. Likely will be more important: As productivity of ruminants is increased With increased confinement of animals
Vitamin Requirements of Ruminants
Ruminants require the same vitamins as monogastric animals at cell level Prior to rumen development young ruminants require dietary sources of vitamins Colostrum and milk Concentration of vitamins in colostrum is greater than in milk Calves need to be fed vitamins if they are being fed milk replacers with non milk protein
Vitamin Requirements of Ruminants
Mature ruminants have dietary requirement for: Vitamins A, D, and E Vitamin D in feed or from UV exposure B vitamins usually not supplemented in ruminant diets High producing dairy cows sometimes benefit from supplementation with B vitamins Mixtures of biotin, niacin, riboflaven, panothenic acid, thiamin, and B12
Inadequate Dietary Vitamin Intakes
Low concentrations in feeds Harvesting and agronomic effects Processing and storage effects Humidity, heat, light, pH, minerals, pelleting Reduced feed intake Bioavailability B-vitamins affected more than fat soluble Level of production Increased grain intake, increased feed intake, increased rate of passage, reduced rumen function Rearing in confinement out of sunlight Stress and disease Decreased feed intake, increased requirement
Factors Influencing Vitamin Stability
+ = stable - = unstable ( ) = tocopheryl acetate
Circumstances Affecting Vitamin Nutrition
Vitamin antagonists of importance to ruminants Dicumarin (Dicumarol) Found in moldy sweet clover - Blocks the action of vitamin K (Depresses formation of thrombin) Animals can bleed internally Rancid fats Destroys vitamins A, D, and E Thiamin antagonists Thiaminase - may develop in the rumen Amprolium blocks absorption Sulfur may destroy thiamin in the rumen
Situations for Supplementing Vitamins
Vitamin A (Retinol) Vitamin of most practical importance in ruminant feeds. Deficiency most likely: High concentrate feeds (low forage) Large amounts of fermented feeds Mature - drought pastures Long stored feeds Sunlight, air, high temperatures Heavily processed feeds Some destruction of vitamin A in the rumen Increases when concentrates are fed Forage diets 20% Grain diets up to 70%
-Carotene Provitamin A found in many plants Mostly in the vegetative parts of plants Decreases as plants mature Decreases with time in storage Some destruction in the rumen (0 to 35%) Converted to retinol by enzymes in intestinal mucosal cells Some absorption of -carotene Ruminants do not efficiently convert carotene to vitamin A 1 mg carotene = 400 IU vitamin A
Vitamin A Deficiency Reduced feed intake - slow growth Rough hair coat Edema of joints and brisket Watery eyes Night blindness Retinol needed for synthesis of rhodopsin Low conception Still births Function of immune system
Vitamin A Functions Normal night vision http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/matthews/ rhodopsin.html
Vitamin A Requirements Dairy cattle Growing: 80 IU/kg body wt Adult: 110 IU/kg body wt Supplemental Vitamin A (retinol) 1 IU of Vit A activity = 0.344 ug of all-trans retinyl acetate 0.550 ug all-trans retinyl palmitate
Vitamin A When to Supplement?
Carotene content of feeds is variable and usually unknown Cost of supplemental vitamin A is low so usually should supplement Exception is animals grazing green forages Should be consuming adequate carotene Increased exposure to infectious pathogens Times when immunocompetence may be reduced
Vitamin A Reserves in the Body
Vitamin A stored in the liver when intake of vitamin A or carotene is high Vitamin A in the liver has about 4 week half life Should not depend on more than 2 to 4 months of protection from storage of vitamin A in the liver Ruminants have a high tolerance for vitamin A Will tolerate 66,000 IU/kg feed
Vitamin D 1. Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2) - found in plants 2. Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) - found in animals Photochemical conversion in skin: 7-dehydrocholesterol Cholecalciferol Liver (Sequesters Vit D3) Vit D3 25-hydroxy-vit D3 Circulating form of Vit D3 Blood concentrations of 25-hydroxy-vit D3 indication of vitamin D status of the animal Kindney 25-hydroxy-vit D3 1, 25-dihydroxy-vit D3 Active form of vitamin D Active on skeleton and intestine
Vitamin D from UV exposure
Active Vit D3
Vitamin D3 Low blood Ca (or P) increases parathyroid hormone secretion Parathyroid hormone increases production of 1,25-dihydroxy-vit D3 in kidney Increases resorption of bone Ca and P Involved in: Absorption of Ca and P and mobilization of Ca and P from bone Regulation of blood Ca and P Immune cell function Reproduction of males and females
Vitamin D - Ruminants Deficiency Rickets in calves Swollen and stiff joints Reduced feed intake Tetany Weak bones Vitamin D can be toxic High blood Ca Calcification of soft tissues Loss of appetite Vitamin D not stored in the body in any quantity
Vitamin D - Requirements Requirement IU/kg Feed DM All beef cattle 275 Growing lambs 185 Gestating ewes 216 Lactating ewes 148 Lactating dairy 30 IU/kg body wt Dry pregnant cows 30 IU/kg body wt Generally recognized as more than required Animals fed sun cured hays and/or kept in sunlight have limited needs for supplemental vitamin D Dairy NRC does not give credit to feed and sunlight as sources of vitamin D
Vitamin D Toxicity Safe feeding levels: A few days - 25,000 IU/kg feed 60 days - 2,200 IU/kg feed Toxicity Loss of appetite Weight loss Reduced rumination Depression Widespread calcification of soft tissue Kidneys, heart, pancreas, lymph glands, lung alveoli Inflammation Demineralization of skeletal system
Feeding Mega Doses of Vitamin D
Prevent milk fever 20 million IU/d starting 3 to 5 days before calving continuing through the fist day postpartum Improve tenderness of beef Assumption: Increased blood and muscle Ca increases activity of calpains, enzymes in muscle that degrade muscle myofibrils Observations: Blood Ca increased Increased degradation of myofibrils Reduced force to shear muscle
Vitamin E -tocopherol is the most common form of vitamin E in feeds Vit E content of feeds is highly variable Vit E decreases in forages with drying and storage Most fresh forages excellent source of Vit E Most grains have low concentrations of Vit E Heat treatment destroys most of the Vit E Supplemental form of vitamin E is DL- -tocopherol The esterified form is more stable than the alcohol Rumen metabolism is minimal 1 IU = 1 mg DL- -tocopherol
Vitamin E Functions as an antioxidant and involved in Maintenance of cell membranes Immunity Reproduction Deficiency White muscle disease Weak muscles Retained placenta Reduced reproduction Reduced disease resistance Toxicity not demonstrated in ruminants Vitamin E not extensively stored in the body
Vitamin E - Dairy - 2001
1. Dry cows 60 days before calving 80 IU/kg feed DM Based on reduction of mastitis and immune function Higher amounts needed for fetus and to increase concentration in colostrum 2. Lactating cows 20 IU/kg feed DM Needs to be increased when poor quality forage is fed or if feeds have low Se content Supplement Se if low in soils 3 to 5 mg /d for dry cows 6 to 8 mg/d for lactating cows
Vitamin E - Beef & Sheep
Requirement IU/kg feed DM All beef cattle 15 to 60 Pregnant and lactating cows 20 Growing heifers 25 All sheep 15 Related to adequacy of selenium Vitamin E not transferred across placenta to fetus Dependent on colostrum for dietary source Feedlot cattle Feed 500 IU/day for 100 days. Extend shelf life of beef cuts in the sales case
Vitamin K Vitamin K is a generic term describing a group of quinone compounds Phylloquinone (vitamin K1) Found in chloroplasts of plants Menaquinone (vitamin K2) Synthesized by rumen bacteria Menadione (vitamin K3) Synthetic form used for supplementing vit K
Vitamin K Required for synthesis of four blood clotting factors Prothrombin, factors VII, IX, and X Involved in blood clot formation No established supplemental requirement for ruminants Microbial synthesis and vit K in feeds Deficiency limited to: Cattle consuming moldy sweet clover have prolonged clotting of blood - sweet clover disease A fungus produces dicoumarol that is a metabolic antagonist of vitamin K Stiffness and lameness Uncontrolled bleeding hematoma of tissues
Other Water Soluble Vitamins
Not required in diet of ruminants Ruminants with functional rumen obtain water soluble vitamins from the digestive tract Niacin -------- Supplementation may benefit high Biotin ---producing animals Folic acid --Vitamin B12 Synthesized in rumen if Co present, not present in feeds Vitamin C - Not synthesized in cattle until about 3 wks Riboflavin Pyridoxine Pantothenic acid Choline
Supplementation of B Vitamins 1. Prevent overt deficiency symptoms Probably occur only in calves fed milk replacers 2. Prevent subclinical deficiencies Optimum production Impact of stress on immune system Niacin - May benefit early lactation cows Biotin - May benefit herds with high incidence of hoof lesions Folic acid - Might increase milk production Cobalt - B12 - (methylmalonyl CoA mutase) utilization of propionate, foliate metabolism, milk yield B-vitamins - immune function of stressed cattle
Thiamin 1. Adequate quantities normally produced by the bacteria in the rumen 2. Inadequate thiamin Thiaminase and thiamin antimetabolites produced in ruminants fed rapidly fermented diets Infrequently polioencephalomalacia (PEM), a disorder of the central nervous system develops Retracted head, weakness, collapse, blindness are symptoms Respond to administration of thiamin
[Ebooks PDF] download Energy and protein metabolism and nutrition 3rd EAAP International Symposium on Energy and Protein Metabolism and Nutrition Parma Italy 6 10 September 2010 1st Edition G. Matteo Crovetto full chapters
[Ebooks PDF] download Energy and protein metabolism and nutrition 3rd EAAP International Symposium on Energy and Protein Metabolism and Nutrition Parma Italy 6 10 September 2010 1st Edition G. Matteo Crovetto full chapters
