Studying the effect of using activated charcoal on production performance, milk composition, somatic cells and some blood parameters in Holstein dairy cows

Arash Hadi, Farouq Kargar

• PhD Graduate in Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran
• PhD Student in Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran

Abstract:

The presence of toxins in feed causes significant harm to livestock and poultry breeders. Therefore, an experiment was designed to investigate the effects of activated charcoal on the production performance, milk composition, somatic cells, and some blood parameters in Holstein dairy cows. The study was conducted using 16 Holstein dairy cows, each having two calvings, divided into 4 groups of 4 cows each for two 15-day periods. The average milk production was 35.68 kg, the average lactation days were 96.47, and the initial average weight was 680 ± 6 kg. All groups were similar in terms of weight and calving history. The experimental treatments included: 1) Control group (no activated charcoal in the feed), and groups 2 to 4 containing 0.5, 1, and 1.5 kg of activated charcoal per ton of concentrate, respectively. Different levels of activated charcoal in the feed had no significant effect on raw milk production, fat-corrected milk, fat percentage, protein percentage, or lactose content. However, the somatic cell count of milk was significantly affected by the treatments. The diet containing 1.5 kg per ton of concentrate activated charcoal significantly reduced the somatic cell count compared to the control group. The experimental treatments had no significant effect on blood parameters. Based on the results and the reduction in somatic cell count, it is recommended to use 1.5 kg per ton of activated charcoal in the concentrate for dairy cows.

Introduction:

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by molds and fungi in fields or during the storage of grains, feeds, and forages. They are also considered as pathogens transferred from the soil, but not all molds and fungi produce toxins. Over 500 different types have been identified in various feeds (Streit et al., 2013). The use of binders in feed has become a popular method to prevent the negative effects of mycotoxins in recent years due to their high adsorption capacity and ease of use for farmers. Toxin binders are divided into two categories: organic and inorganic. Organic binders include live yeast, yeast cell walls, probiotics, plant compounds, certain vitamins, and organic acids, while inorganic binders include aluminosilicate adsorbents (bentonite), activated charcoal, and diatomaceous earth (Hashimoto et al., 2016). Activated charcoal is a broad-spectrum toxin binder with excellent adsorption capacity used for various digestive toxins. In one of the first studies on mycotoxins, activated charcoal was used to neutralize them, and it was reported that the use of activated charcoal in the feed reduced aflatoxicosis effects in goats (Hatch et al., 1982). Another study reported that activated charcoal reduced aflatoxin residues in the milk of dairy cows (Galvano et al., 1996). Furthermore, another study compared activated charcoal with beta-glucan ester in reducing aflatoxins in milk, reporting that the use of 45 grams of activated charcoal daily had no significant effect on aflatoxin levels, while the beta-glucan ester reduced aflatoxins in milk. Researchers reported that the use of activated charcoal helps to eliminate and deactivate zearalenone and deoxynivalenol (Bueno et al., 2005; Daković et al., 2005; Döll et al., 2004). Bentonite, a crystalline aluminosilicate, has a high cation exchange capacity. The negative charges at the edges of the bentonite structure react quickly with positive charges and adsorb them. This property makes bentonite an effective toxin binder with beneficial effects on livestock and poultry (Nadziakiewicza et al., 2019). Considering that there are few studies on the effects of activated charcoal in dairy cows, this study investigates the impact of activated charcoal on the production performance, milk composition, somatic cells, and some blood parameters in Holstein dairy cows.

Materials and Methods:

Preparation of Experimental Diets:

In this experiment, the activated charcoal product “Carbactive Chitika” from Chitika Company was used to examine its effects on dairy cows. A total of 16 Holstein dairy cows, each having two calvings, were divided into four groups of four cows each for two 15-day periods. The average milk production was 35.68 kg, the average lactation days were 96.47, and the initial average weight was 680 ± 6 kg. All groups were similar in terms of weight and calving history. The experimental treatments included: 1) Control group (no activated charcoal in the feed), and groups 2 to 4 containing 0.5, 1, and 1.5 kg of activated charcoal per ton of concentrate, respectively. The diets were formulated using the NRC 2001 software, and the feed ingredients are shown in Table (1). The diets were provided as total mixed ration (TMR) in two daily meals at 8 AM and 4 PM. The feed intake for each cow was individually calculated and measured weekly by the difference between the amount of feed added to the trough and the leftover feed at the end of the week. The cows were milked three times a day (5 AM, 1 PM, and 7 PM), and daily milk production was recorded. Milk samples were collected during the last three days of each 15-day period and stored at -20°C for analysis of fat, protein, and lactose content, as well as somatic cell count using a spectrophotometer (Kutz et al., 2009).

To measure blood parameters at the end of the experiment, blood samples were taken from all repetitions and centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes. The serum was then transferred to the specialized laboratory of Mashhad’s Super Specialty Hospital for testing cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, total protein, and albumin levels. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.3, and means were compared using Tukey’s test at a 5% significance level.

Results and Discussion:

Table 2 reports the effects of different activated charcoal levels on milk production, milk composition, and somatic cell count. The results showed that different levels of activated charcoal had no significant effect on raw milk production, fat-corrected milk, fat percentage, protein percentage, or lactose content. The somatic cell count of milk was significantly influenced by the treatments. The diet containing 1.5 kg of activated charcoal per ton of concentrate significantly reduced the somatic cell count compared to the control group. An effective and cost-efficient strategy to reduce the toxic effects of mycotoxins and their transfer into animal products is to decrease their bioavailability in the digestive system. Queiroz et al. (2012) reported that bentonite-based adsorbents effectively bind toxins (Queiroz et al., 2012). Additionally, Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation products improve animal performance by modifying the gut microbiome, improving gut morphology, and reducing inflammatory responses (Xiao et al., 2016). Studies have shown that activated charcoal, with its high adsorption capacity, is effective in removing and eliminating zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, and nivalenol. In a laboratory digestive model, it was reported that activated charcoal reduced the activity of deoxynivalenol and nivalenol (Avantaggiato et al., 2004).

Conclusion:

Activated charcoal is a broad-spectrum toxin binder with high adsorption capacity used for various gastrointestinal toxins. In this study, different levels of activated charcoal did not significantly affect milk composition or milk production. However, the consumption of 1.5 kg per ton of activated charcoal in the concentrate significantly reduced the somatic cell count in milk, which is one of the most important economic parameters in dairy farming. Blood parameters were not affected by the treatments. Based on the results, it is recommended to use 1.5 kg per ton of activated charcoal in the concentrate for dairy cows.

منابع:

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