Short-term exposure of dairy cows to pyrrolizidine alkaloids from tansy ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris Gaertn.): effects on health and performance

Kirsten Knoop, Karin Knappstein, Florian Kaltner, Angelika Miriam Gabler, Julian Taenzer, Anja These, Susanne Kersten, Ulrich Meyer, Jana Frahm, Jeannette Kluess, Liane Hüther, Christoph Gottschalk, Knud Erik Bach Knudsen, Janine Saltzmann, Sven Dänicke

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avisTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

4 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

The increasing spread of ragworts is observed with concern. Ragworts like tansy ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris Gaertn.) or marsh ragwort (J. aquatica) contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) which may induce hepatotoxic effects. Grazing animals usually avoid ragworts if their pasture management is appropriate. Preserved feed prepared from ragworts contaminated meadows may, however, lead to a significant exposure to PA. Previous studies on toxicity of PA for dairy cows revealed inconsistent results due to feeding ragwort plant material which was associated with heterogeneous PA exposure and thus failed to conclusively deduce critical PA doses. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to expose dairy cows (n = 4 per group) in a short-term scenario for 28 days with increasing PA doses (PA1: 0.47 mg PA/kg body weight (BW)/day (d); PA2: 0.95 mg PA/kg BW/d; PA3: 1.91 mg PA/kg BW/d) via oral administration by gavage of a defined PA-extract. While group PA3 was dosed with the PA-extract alone, groups PA2 and PA1 received PA-extracts blended in similar volumes with molasses to provide comparable amounts of sugar. Additionally, two control groups were treated either with water (CONWater) or with molasses (CONMolasses) to assess the effects of sugar without PA interference. While clinical traits including dry matter intake, milking performance, rectal body temperature, ruminal activity and body condition score (BCS) were not influenced by PA exposure, activities of enzymes indicative for liver damages, such as gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), increased significantly over time at an exposure of 1.91 mg total PA/kg BW/d.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftArchives of Animal Nutrition
Vol/bind77
Nummer5
Sider (fra-til)363-384
Antal sider22
ISSN1745-039X
DOI
StatusUdgivet - okt. 2023

Emneord

  • clinical chemical traits
  • dairy cows
  • performance parameter
  • pyrrolizidine alkaloids
  • short-term exposure

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