Effects of supplementing bile acids on the production performance, fatty acid and bile acid composition, and gut microbiota in transition dairy cows

作者：Lei Li, Jiaxiao Li, Zhihui Liu, Zihan Jin, Mengyang Wang, Ying Wu, Zhihong Zhang, Xinfeng Hou, Junhu Yao, Jun Zhang · 发表于：Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology/Journal of animal science and biotechnology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1186/s40104-025-01207-8 · 被引用次数：6 · 研究领域：Reproductive Physiology in Livestock、Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology、Animal health and immunology

BACKGROUND: During the transition period, cows are prone to negative energy balance, which can lead to a decline in production performance and health in severe cases. In recent years, it has been discovered that bile acids (BAs) can act not only as fat emulsifiers but also as signaling molecules to regulate body metabolism. Although BAs have been used to some extent in monogastric and aquatic animals, their role in ruminants, particularly in transition cows, remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effects of BAs on the production performance, milk and plasma fatty acid and BA composition, and fecal microbiota in transition dairy cows. RESULTS: Forty-six healthy transition Holstein dairy cows with similar conditions were randomly divided into two groups and supplemented with 0 or 20 g/d of BAs from 21 d before the expected calving to 21 d after calving. The production performance was tracked until 60 d after calving. The results indicated that BA supplementation significantly improved postpartum milk fat content and yields as well as the yields of unsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in milk. There was a significant increase in the concentration of triglyceride and the proportion of C ≤ 16 fatty acids in the plasma of cows supplemented with BAs, while the concentration of β-hydroxybutyrate and the proportion of C > 16 fatty acids in the plasma decreased significantly. BA supplementation significantly altere...