Abstract #W364

# W364
Effects of clay (EcoMix) after an aflatoxin challenge on milk production and blood metabolism of Holstein cows.
Saige A. Sulzberger*1, Sergey Melnichenko2, Felipe C. Cardoso1, 1University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 2United Minerals Group, Kyviv, Ukraine.

Oral supplementation of clay to dairy cattle has been reported to reduce toxicity of aflatoxin in contaminated feed. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of 3 levels of dietary clay (EcoMix) supplementation after an aflatoxin challenge. Ten multiparous rumen-cannulated Holstein cows (BW = 669 ± 20kg, 146 ± 69 DIM), were assigned to 1 of 5 treatments in a completely randomized replicated 5 × 5 Latin square design. Periods consisted of a 14-d (d 1–14) adaptation period followed by a 3-d aflatoxin challenge (d 14–16; 100 μg of AFB1/kg of diet DM administered intra-ruminally). Cows were sampled daily during the last week of the period (d 14–21). Treatments were: POS, no EcoMix plus aflatoxin challenge; 0.5%, 1%, 2%, percentage of dietary DMI as EcoMix; and CON, no EcoMix and no aflatoxin challenge. Statistical analysis was performed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Two contrasts CONT1 (POS vs. CON), CONT2 (POS vs. average of 0.5%, 1%, and 2%) were compared along with the linear and quadratic treatment effects. Milk samples were collected daily and tested with AFM1 snap test (SNP; IDEXX, Inc.). Cows in CON had no positive SNP tests, while cows in POS had 14.2 ± 0.44 (P < 0.001, CONT2) positive SNP tests. Cows supplemented with EcoMix had lower number of positive SNP tests (0.5% = 13.9, 1% = 13.1, 2% = 12.4, SEM = 0.4, P = 0.04) than cows in POS (14.2, CONT2). Cows supplemented with EcoMix through the challenge had lower 3.5% FCM (0.5% = 38.2 kg, 1% = 39.3 kg, 2% = 38.4kg, SEM = 1.8, P = 0.06), ECM (0.5% = 37.1 kg, 1% = 37.1 kg, 2% = 37.1 kg, SEM = 1.6, P = 0.05, and Fat kg/d (0.5% = 1.36 kg, 1% = 1.43 kg, 2% = 1.40 kg, SEM = 0.09, P = 0.09) than cows in POS (41.3 kg, 39.6 kg, 1.5 kg, respectively, CONT2). Serum cholesterol and creatine phosphokinase concentrations were higher for cows fed EcoMix (232.6 mg/dL ± 8.3, P = 0.08, 140.1 U/L ± 9.3, P = 0.04, respectively) than cows in POS (227.4 mg/dL ± 8.4, 126.3 U/L ± 9.3, respectively). In conclusion, oral supplementation of EcoMix decreased the total number of positive SNP tests after an aflatoxin challenge and seems to work as a flow agent for aflatoxin contamination in dairy cattle.

Key Words: clay, aflatoxin, milk yield