Effect of feeding wafer biosupplement for increasing production and quality of dairy milk

Lionny Gayatri Putri, Yuli Retnani and Despal

Department of Nutrition and Feed Technology, Faculty of Animal Science, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
yuli_retnani@apps.ipb.ac.id

Abstract

Wafer biosupplement are wafer high in palmitic acid which are equipped with bioactive flavonoid compounds which function as antioxidants derived from coffee by-product. The aim of this research was to evaluate the administration of wafer biosupplement at different levels (0, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 grams/head/day) on milk production and quality in dairy cows. This study used a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 6 treatments and 4 milk production groups (low, medium, high and very high). The research results showed that giving wafer biosupplement had a significant effect on increasing milk fat content, and increasing milk production. Providing wafer biosupplement at the level of 400 grams/head/day provides the best results which can increase milk production.

Keywords: biosupplement, milk production, milk quality, performance, protected fat, wafer

Introduction

Milk is the primary product produced by dairy cows and contains highly nutritious components, such as protein, lactose, vitamins, fat, and calcium. The annual consumption of milk has been increasing in line with growing public awareness of the importance of consuming nutritious food. However, this has not been matched by an increase in production because of the several challenges faced by farmers (Pasaribu et al 2015). Dairy cows are a livestock species that can meet the world's milk needs better than other milk-producing animals. However, most dairy farming in Indonesia is still practiced traditionally, where farmers focus only on the quantity of milk produced, resulting in low-quality milk. The nutritional content of the feed provided by dairy farmers is also relatively low, and the commonly used feed does not meet the needs of lactating dairy cows. According to Siregar (2003), efforts to increase milk production can be achieved by increasing the population of dairy cows and improving feed quality. According to Haryanto (2012), optimizing milk production in a tropical climate is the biggest challenge in raising dairy cows because it requires high maintenance energy. Providing quality feed and the tropical climate of Indonesia pose challenges to traditional farmers.

Quality feed is expensive, and farmers must consider the budget for their livestock feed. One alternative for improving feed quality is fat supplementation. According to Santos et al (2017), fat can be given as a feed supplement to dairy cows raised in tropical climates because fat has high energy with low heat increments and can help protect feed that is easily degraded (Sartika 2008). Fat is one of the nutrients that needs attention to support dairy cow productivity in producing milk fat. The nutrients needed in fat are fatty acids and the provision of fatty acids in feed aims to enhance growth, health, reproduction, and milk production. One source of fatty acids that can be used is vegetable oil, in which one of the ingredients that can meet the fatty acid requirements is palmitic acid.

Palmitic acid is a long-chain saturated fatty acid with minimal effects on the rumen microbial population and is known as the rumen bypass. One ingredient derived from vegetable oil with a high palmitic acid content is prill fat, which contains more than 85% palmitic acid with a high melting point and is granulated through a size reduction process using the spray drying method. However, prill fat does not melt at low pH, undergoes rumen degradation, and can be digested in the small intestine by lipase enzymes. Wu et al (1991) stated that the amount of palmitic acid that passes through the rumen is not significantly different from the amount consumed.

Steele and Moore (1968) reported that feeding pure C16:0 sources would double the percentage of milk fat but had no effect on milk production. Feed quality can be observed from the physical condition of the feed and its effects on livestock. Research on the impact of palm oil-derived prill fat by Singh et al (2014) indicated an increase in milk production and milk fat in dairy cows. Similar research by Piantoni et al (2014) showed inconsistent results, whereas research conducted by Riestanti et al (2020) using various types of prill fat indicated that palm oil prill fat with 86% palmitic content at a 2% level provided the best results in terms of fermentability and performance in dairy cows.

Prill fat supplementation can increase milk production without altering the milk composition (Singh et al 2014). Based on previous studies using high-palmitic acid materials in the form of granulated prill fat, it is necessary to add feed processing technology by pressing into wafers using a pressing machine (Argadyasto et al 2014). This is done to prevent feed scattering, make the feed more efficient, and facilitate farmers to provide supplementary feed. In addition to being more practical, wafers are more durable. The purpose of making wafers is to increase the shelf life of feed ingredients (Harahap et al 2021).

Materials and methods

Feed Ingredients of Wafer Biosupplement

The formulation of wafer biosupplement is based on fat supplementation at a level that does not harm the metabolism of dairy cattle. The selection of complementary raw materials for biosupplement wafers was carried out using the trial and error method. After trial and error on several formulations, the following formulation was finally chosen.

Composition and Nutrient Content of Basal Feed for Livestock

The basal diet used in Boyolali Regency livestock farms consisted of elephant grass, concentrate, and tofu dregs. The composition and nutrient content of each farmer's basal ration are listed in Table 2. The feeding method is based on farmers' practices, where concentrate and tofu dregs are mixed prior to feeding the animals. Meanwhile, roughage was provided after the concentrate was consumed.

The Stages of Biosupplement Wafer Production

The biosupplement wafer was produced based on the ingredients outlined in Table 1. The stages of biosupplement wafer production are depicted in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. The stages of biosupplement wafer production

Daily cattle rearing procedure

The cattle used in this study were PFH dairy cattle during the lactation period and ranged from 1 to 4. The biosupplement wafer feed was administered to the dairy cows at varying levels. specifically 0, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 g per head per day. Biosupplement wafers were provided to the livestock at 6:00 am and 3:00 pm.

Photo 1. Biosupplement administered to cows

Milk fat assessed

Milk fat was assessed before and after the study to obtain data on milk quality. Milk samples (50 mL per animal) were collected in the morning and evening. These samples were analyzed for milk quality parameters. including fat content.

Milk fatty acid assessed

Milk samples (50 mL each) were collected from every treatment group in the morning and evening. The samples were then proportionally composited to form a single representative sample for each treatment. Fat extraction was performed on these composite samples, followed by fatty acid composition analysis using gas chromatography.

Milk production

Milk production will be measured according to the milking schedule typically followed by farmers. which occurs in the morning between 6:00 and 7:00 AM and in the afternoon between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. The milk obtained from each milking session will be measured using a 1000 mL capacity milk meter. The recorded milk production measurements were expressed in liters.

Data collection and analysis

This study used a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 6 treatments and 4 milk production groups (low. medium. high and very high). The data on the effects of feeding biosupplement wafers will be analyzed using ANOVA. If significant differences were found, further analysis was conducted using Duncan's test, employing SPSS software version 25.

Statistical model

Yij = μ + αi+ βj + €ij

Where;

Yij : Response variables due to the influence of treatment on wafer supplements of the i-th iteration and j-th group.

μ : The General Mean

αi : Influence of Wafer Supplement Administration from Treatment i

βj : Influence of Administering Wafer Supplements from Group j

€ij : Effect of error in administering wafer supplements from treatment i and group j

i : Treatment (1.2.3.4.5.6)

j : Reiteration (1.2.3.4)

Result and discussion

Milk fat

The performance of dairy cattle can be assessed based on milk production and its components. Fat is one of the components present in milk. The impact of feeding biosupplement wafers on the milk fat content of dairy cows in Boyolali is shown in Table 3.

According to Morand-Fehr et al (2007), the nutritional value of milk is determined by its constituent components. Jenkins and McGuire (2006) revealed that milk components are influenced by cattle type, age, feed, health and season. Fat is a constituent component of milk that plays a crucial role and has high economic and nutritional value. The higher the fat content of milk. the richer its taste. The National Standardization Agency (2011) stipulates that the minimum fat content of cow milk is 3.00%.

Figure 2. Graph illustrating the effect of biosupplement wafer feeding on milk fat content

Table 3 shows that the administration of wafer biosupplement feed containing prill fat affects milk fat composition. as indicated by the increase in milk fat content at each feeding level. Based on Figure 2. it can be observed that the highest milk fat content is achieved with the administration of 500 g of wafer biosupplement feed. This suggests that prill fat is effectively utilised by livestock. providing additional energy that enhances milk fat production.

Maheswari (2004) explained that milk fat is influenced by feed. as most milk components are synthesised in the mammary gland from simple substrates. The availability of fatty acids in the feed increases the rate of milk fat synthesis; however, the energy requirements of dairy cows must be met. This is evidenced by the increased milk fat in lactating dairy cows fed wafer biosupplements containing prill fat.

Fatty acid profile

The effect of biosupplement wafer feeding on the fatty acid profile of dairy cow milk in Boyolali is shown in Table 4.

R0: control; R1: 100 gr Wafer Biosupplement; R2: 200 gr Wafer Biosupplement; R3: 300 gr Wafer Biosupplement; R4: 400 gr Wafer Biosupplement; R5: 500 gr Wafer Biosupplement. SFA: Saturated Fatty Acid; UFA: Unsaturated Fatty Acid; MUFA: Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acid; PUFA: Poly Unsaterated Fatty Acid; SCFA: Short Chain Fatty Acids; MCFA: Medium Chain Fatty Acids; LCFA: Long Chain Fatty Acids; HH: Hypocholesterolemic/Hyperchole-sterolemic; AI: Atherogenicity Index. HH: [(cis.C18:1 + ∑PUFA)/C12:0 + C14:0 + C16:0)] (Santos-Silva et al.. 2002). AI: [C12:0 + (4 x C14:0) + C16:0/∑UFA: Unsaturated Fatty Acid) (Ulbricht and Southgate. 1991).

The effect of fat supplementation on milk fat and fatty acid composition is affected by the type and amount of fat provided and its degree of resistance in the rumen. The data on the fatty acid composition from each treatment are presented in Table 4. Based on the analysis of the fatty acid profile of milk from cows fed biosupplement wafers. differences were observed in each fatty acid. but the most significant differences were noted in fat content. palmitic acid (C16:0). total SFA, UFA and LCFA in the R3 treatment.

The results of this study indicated that the addition of Biosupplement wafers at the R3 level had the highest fat content among all the treatments tested. with the lowest levels of palmitic acid. total SFA, total UFA and LCFA among all treatments. The provision of Biosupplement wafers from treatment R0 to R2 showed an increase in palmitic acid content. but at the R3 level, palmitic acid content was the lowest, then increased again in treatments R4 and R5.

Low palmitic acid. which is a part of saturated fatty acids (SFA), also indicated the lowest total UFA in the R3 treatment and the highest palmitic acid content in the R2 treatment was followed by the highest UFA content among all treatments. The fatty acid profile analysis in this study showed that the decrease in palmitic acid content was correlated with a decrease in unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) content, This differs from the findings of Sanidita (2022), who reported that an increase in palmitic acid resulted in a decrease in the percentage of unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA and PUFA) after the administration of prill fat supplements, Riestanti et al (2021) also found that the addition of 2% prill fat supplements to dairy cow feed resulted in a higher palmitic acid content and lower UFA content.

Palmitic acid in prill fat is a long-chain saturated fatty acid with little effect on the rumen microbial population. According to Wu et al (1991), C16:0 leaving the rumen was almost the same as C16:0 provided through feed. The apparent digestibility of C16:0 was 79.60%. Bauman et al (2003) stated that the outflow rate of fat from the rumen is mostly in the form of free fatty acids. and the differences in digestibility of each fatty acid in the small intestine can be ignored. Therefore, the fatty acid composition absorbed in the small intestine is almost the same as that leaving the rumen. The mechanism causing the increase in C16:0 in milk fat is that the fat contained in the feed is absorbed by intestinal epithelial cells, mainly in the jejunum. and forms chylomicrons that are transported to the mammary glands for milk fat synthesis (Christie et al 1986).

A high palmitic acid content in food is not beneficial for health. as this fatty acid is a saturated fat that triggers cholesterol. Palmitic acid can suppress the expression of LDL receptors or accelerate the secretion of VLDL from the liver to increase plasma LDL cholesterol levels (Spady et al 1993). Other evidence suggests that palmitic acid can increase HDL cholesterol production (Lindsey et al 1990). In contrast, the highest palmitic acid content in the R2 treatment was followed by a higher unsaturated fatty acid content. High unsaturated fatty acid content has positive effects on cardiovascular health (Siciliano et al 2013).

The hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic (H/H) index is used as a better approach to evaluate the nutritional utilization of fats based on their functional effects. The H/H ratio index can be used to calculate the effects of each fatty acid on cholesterol metabolism (Williams 2000). According to Salles et al (2019), the normal H/H ratio value in dairy cow milk is approximately 0.406-0.573, while the H/H ratio value in the R3 treatment in Table 3 shows the highest number among all treatments. A lower H/H ratio can trigger an increase in cholesterolemia. The data presented in Table 3 also show that the provision of biosupplement wafers in this study was still within normal limits based on the H/H value. Although the number was higher. the H/H value in R3 was not far from the normal range. Thus, overall. the provision of biosupplement wafers to dairy cows up to an addition of 500 grams in feed did not cause the produced milk to have a negative effect on human health.

The Atherogenic Index (AI). which considers the ratio of saturated fatty acids (lauric. myristic. and palmitic) to unsaturated fatty acids. is one of the risk factor indices for cardiovascular disease (Rabie et al 2023). Therefore. the AI value must be maintained low. The AI value obtained in this study did not differ much in each treatment and was included in the low AI value according to Sharma et al (2018), with the normal AI value for dairy cows ranging from 1.6-3.79. Riestanti et al (2021) also found that the AI value of dairy cow milk given a 2% prill fat supplement in feed was 2.82, which is still considered low.

Dairy Production

The effects of wafer biosupplement feeding on dairy cattle milk production in Boyolali are presented in Table 5.

The provision of wafer biosupplement feed appears to enhance milk production in Boyolali dairy cattle. According to Table 5 and Figures 3, the highest milk production was observed in the treatment group that received 400 g of wafer biosupplement. Based on the t-test results for the initial and final milk production deltas. a significant outcome was observed (p<0.05). This could be attributed to dairy cattle provided with wafer biosupplement prill fat being able to meet their requirements for the production and maintenance of body condition.

Figure 3. Graph illustrating the effect of biosupplement wafer feeding on milk production (l/day)

Increased milk production could also be due to the presence of starch substances within protected fats, causing a positive energy balance in dairy cattle. thereby altering metabolism in the mammary glands (Wina and Susana 2013). Energy balance during gestation in dairy cows can also lead to increased milk production during lactation (Singh et al 2015). The increase in milk production may also be influenced by the prill fat content in wafer biosupplement. According to Chamberlain and DePeters (2017). the addition of prill fat has a positive effect on dairy cattle milk production, Souza et al (2017) also indicated that the provision of prill fat can enhance milk production. milk components. and improve feed efficiency.

Conclusion

This study outcomes reveal the impactful influence of feeding biosupplement wafers on milk production, with the highest yield observed at a dosage of 400 g. Furthermore, this study indicates a notable enhancement in the fat content of dairy milk from boyolali. The fatty acid profile test results of milk from cows fed with biosupplement wafers revealed variations in each fatty acid. with the most significant difference observed in the fat content, palmitic acid (C16:0), total saturated fatty acids (SFA), unsaturated fatty acids (UFA). and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) in the R3 treatment. The HH and AI values in the milk of dairy cows from all treatments in this study were within the typical range. In general. the provision of biosupplement wafers up to 500 g in the feed did not bring about any harmful effects on the quality of the milk produced and remained within safe limits for human consumption.

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