Endotoxins’ effect
on dairy cattle performance
A topic of increasing interest and importance for dairy cattle production are the effects of endotoxins on livestock performance parameters. It is becoming more and more evident that endotoxins play a role in the incidence of infectious and metabolic diseases in dairy cattle, risking: health, performance, and profit.
The rumen, an endotoxin’s home
Due to the richness in gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial species in the rumen, endotoxins are abundant in the gastrointestinal tract of cattle. Endotoxins, a structural component of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, are mainly released when bacteria are lysed. After being lysed, endotoxins can enter the bloodstream where they stimulate the immune system and trigger immune responses. During infectious diseases caused by bacteria, endotoxins significantly contribute to symptoms and pathology.
Stress, an opening to the body
High-producing dairy cattle are sensitive to stressful situations, which puts their system under a lot of pressure, especially during the transition period. These circumstances raise the risk of toxins passing the gut wall and entering the bloodstream, increasing pressure on the cow’s health. As well as local intestinal inflammation, once beyond the gut wall, endotoxins can also be present at other sites of the body, such as the mammary gland and uterus.
Binding, the solution
Understanding the connection between endotoxins and dairy cattle disease holds significant potential for developing preventative solutions. Different means of control, aimed at the reduction of bacterial contamination, have been tested with varying results. Within Agrimprove, we think a cost-effective method would be the dual benefit of our toxin binders to capture endotoxins and mycotoxins in the gastrointestinal tract and prevent them from entering the systemic circulation. First indications seen by our experts prove our solution lowers the number of endotoxins present in an in vitro rumen environment. Studies are underway to validate their impact on in vivo live animals.
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