The effect of using Prebiotics, Probiotics and Synbiotics on performance, blood characteristics and E.Coli counts of Holstein suckling calves

Introduction
Probiotics are live food micro-organisms and their positive effects on the microbial balance of the host animal have been proved. Prebiotics are indigestible carbohydrates that are not digestible in whole garter-intestinal tract of farm animals. Synbiotics are derived feed additive from the combination of probiotics and prebiotics. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of adding probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic through milk on the growth, intake and immune function of suckling calves.
Materials and methods
Twenty four Holstein male calves with an average live body weight of 42 ± 3 kg were assigned to the following treatments based on their live body weight. 1) Control group: Normal milk feeding without any additive. 2) Normal milk feeding + 1.5 g per calf per day Protoxin probiotic (multivariate probiotic including 7 filament bacteria and 2 filament yeast at a concentration of 2 × 109 cfu / g). 3) Normal milk feeding + 5 g per calf per day Inulin prebiotic. 4) Normal Milk feeding + 1.5 g per calf per day Protexin + 5 g per calf per day Inulin. Calves were fed twice daily at 7 and 16 hours. The starter feed (Table 1) was fed to the experimental calves for 60 days. Water was available at all times.

Table 1. Percentage of feed ingredients in the starter fed to calves
Feed ingredient %
Barely 26 %
Corn 17 %
Soybean meal 20 %
Flax seed 10 %
Wheat Bran 9 %
Dried Sugar Beet Pulp 5 %
Cottonseed 4 %
Fish powder 4 %
Cotton seed meal 3 %
Salt 0.1 %
Lime 0.1 %
Di-calcium phosphate 0.1 %
Bentonite 0.2 %
Vitamin supplement( broiler ) 0.75 %
Mineral supplement (broiler) 0.75 %


All analyzes were performed based on ANOVA method using general linear modeling process and using SAS software.
Results and Discussion
Data analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the control group and the rest groups in terms of feed intake (Table 2).

Table 2. The feed intake by the experimental calves (gram per calf per day)
with or without additives
Week of experiment Average feed intake by group of calves
(fed with or without addetives) SE
Control Inulin Protexin Synbiotic
2 49.83 55.5 83.33 84 0.84
3 189.17 196.67 177.83 197.5 0.82
4 550.5 566.67 600 617.5 1.64
5 651.33 696.67 639.83 695.83 1.37
6 747.83 747.17 699.5 768.33 1.31
7 1040 1147.5 1133.5 1195 2.33

The calves fed with multi strain probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic had significantly (p < 0.05) higher daily weight gain than control group (Table 3). But there was no significant difference between the calves fed by milk containing probiotic and prebiotic addetive.

Table 3. Average daily weight gain of calves (gram per calf per day)
during the experimental weeks
Week Average Weight of group of calves
(fed with or without addetive) SE
Control Inulin Protexin Synbiotic
1 42.16 40.66 42.83 42.16 1.00
2 42.48 41.40 43.46 42.91 0.99
3 43.16 42.50 44.50 44 0.99
4 44.58 45 46.58 47 0.90
5 49.18 50.51 52.20 52.96 0.91
6 55 59.25 61.11 62.31 0.92
7 63 69.50 70.58 72.61 0.89

Fecal E.coli counts showed that calves receiving probiotic, prebiotic or synbiotic had a lower fecal E.coli count than the control group (Table 4).


Table 4 – number of Escherichia coli (log cfu/g of wet digesta) in feces of the experimental calves
Week Average E.coli count (log cfu/g) of group of calves
(fed with or without addetives) SE

Control Inulin Protexin Synbiotic
7.67c 7.67c 7.68a 7.65b 7.57ab 0.033
7.68b 7.68b 7.64a 7.62a 7.54a 0.041
7.71b 7.71b 7.61b 7.58b 7.51a 0.036
Serum and blood plasma biochemical data showed that there was a significant difference in neutrophil and lymphocyte rates in different time intervals, but no significant difference was observed in monocyte (Table 5).

Table 5 - blood variables characteristics in calves fed with / without additives
SE Group of experimental calves Blood variable Sampling day
Synbiotic Protexin Inulin Control
2.62 32.8 28 27 31.33 Neutrophil% 14
2.88 64.83 70.66 72.66 67.33 Lymphocyte%
1.93 29 30.16 30.16 27.33 Neutrophil% 42
2.43 66.67 69.5 69.83 69 Lymphocyte%

Conclusion
Addition multi-strain probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic to whole milk of suckling calves increases their daily weight gain and feed intake. They also reduced the E.coli and pathogenic bacteria counts in of calves gastrointestinal tract.
There was a significant difference in blood neutrophil and lymphocyte levels of calves fed milk containing additives in comparison with the control calves. Although, there was no a significant difference for the monocytes level between all groups of calves.