Effect of dietary supplementation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the ruminal microbiota and epithelium in lactating cattle during subacute ruminal acidosis

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Current commercial dairy production systems rely on diets rich in rapidly fermentable carbohydrates to improve production efficiency. However, feeding such diets can lead to accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and lactate within the rumen causing ruminal acidosis. Ruminal acidosis is a very common digestive disorder in high-producing cows, especially after calving, as cows are introduced to energy-dense diets to support milk production. Ruminal acidosis can reduce feed consumption of cows, damage the rumen epithelium, and cause laminitis, liver abscesses and death. Reduced feed consumption caused by ruminal acidosis during the initial phase of lactation can lead to other health risks such as ketosis. Cows receiving direct-fed microbials (DFM) such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae have shown improvement in feed consumption, ruminal conditions, and consequently, improvement in performance and metabolism throughout lactation. The aim of this research project is to investigate the potential benefits of feeding Saccharomyces cerevisiae to dairy cattle. The program will measure cows' performance and monitor health indicators. Advanced molecular and microbiological methods will also be used to assess changes in the rumen microbiota and the ruminal epithelium.