Effect of diet synchrony on rumen fermentation, production performance, immunity status and endocrine in Chinese Holstein cows

Abstract

In order to maximise utilisation of nutrients for ruminants, researchers directed the supply of nitrogen and organic matter synchronously to the rumen. In the current research, two experiments were conducted, one using the in situ nylon bag technique and the other using in vivo study. In Experiment 1, dynamic degradation rates of organic matter (OM) and nitrogen of each feedstuff were determined using the in situ nylon bag technique. Accordingly, three diets were formulated with the same chemical components, but differing in synchrony index (0.74, 0.85 and 0.97). Experiment 2 was subsequently carried out in vivo to evaluate the influence of diet synchrony on rumen fermentation, productive performance, immunity status and endocrine in Chinese Holstein cows. Rumen degradability of OM and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and total tract digestibility of OM were linearly increased with the increase of synchrony index, respectively (P < 0.05). Total volatile fatty acids concentration of rumen fluid was increased linearly with the increase of synchrony index (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, rumen ammonia nitrogen concentration and blood urea nitrogen concentration were decreased in cows with the increase of synchrony index, (P < 0.05). Microbial crude protein production, the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis, and milk protein percentage, were linearly increased with the increase of synchrony index (P < 0.05). Serum concentrations of prostaglandin E2 and immunoreactive fibronectin-γ were linearly decreased with the increase of diet synchrony index (P < 0.05). The aforementioned results implicate that an increase of diet synchrony index could improve diet’s nitrogen utilisation, apparent digestibility of OM, and NDF. Additionally, it could promote rumen fermentation capacity, productive performance and immunity status in dairy cows.