Sugarcane Polyphenols as a Nutritional Strategy to Reduce Somatic Cell Count and Preserve Milk and Yogurt Characteristics Elizangela Domenis Marino, Gercino Ferreira Virgínio Júnior, Ariany Faria de Toledo, Izally Carvalho Gervásio, Simara Larissa Fanalli, et al. Dairy, 2026 The present study evaluated the effects of sugarcane-derived polyphenol nutritional supplement on milk production, milk composition, and somatic cell count (SCC) in lactating Holstein cows. A second objective was to evaluate the quality and stability of yogurt produced with milk from supplemented cows. Sixteen cows (20 ± 2 L/d milk, 120 ± 21 days in milk, 550 ± 82 kg body weight) were assigned to either a control group or a polyphenol-supplemented group in a randomized block design for a six-week evaluation period. Milk yield and individual milk samples for composition analysis (fat, protein, lactose, non-fat solids, casein, free fatty acids, and milk urea nitrogen) were recorded weekly, and only SCC was monitored three times per week. Yogurt was produced from pooled milk of each treatment and evaluated for fermentation parameters (pH, titratable acidity), shelf life, and sensory attributes were evaluated using a triangle test (discriminative sensory analysis). Polyphenol supplementation did not significantly affect milk yield or composition (p > 0.05), but reduced SCC considerably (238 × 103 vs. 593 × 103 cells/mL; p < 0.01). Yogurt fermentation and storage parameters were not significantly affected by supplementation, although pH and titratable acidity changed considerably over time (p < 0.01). Sensory analysis indicated that only 37.3% of panelists correctly identified differences between yogurts, which did not differ from chance expectation in the triangle test. These results demonstrate that polyphenol supplementation can improve udder health, evidenced by reduced SCC, without compromising milk yield, composition, or yogurt quality. Polyphenols thus represent a promising nutritional supplement for enhancing dairy cow health and maintaining product quality.
Effects of sugarcane-derived polyphenol supplementation on ruminal fermentation, methane emission, and microbiome in Holstein cows Elizangela Domenis Marino, Ariany Faria de Toledo, Gercino Ferreira Virgínio Júnior, Lucas William Mendes, Weber Vilas Bôas Soares, et al. Frontiers in Animal Science, 2026 The use of plant-derived polyphenols in ruminant nutrition has garnered attention as a natural approach to enhance fermentation efficiency, mitigate methane emissions, and improve animal health. This study evaluated the effects of sugarcane‐derived polyphenol supplementation on ruminal fermentation, methane emission, blood parameters, and the ruminal microbiome of lactating Holstein cows. Sixteen cows were assigned to two treatments: Control (50 mL/d placebo) or Polyphenol (50 mL/d sugarcane polyphenol extract). Ruminal fluid was analyzed for short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and ammonia-N, blood was analyzed for selected metabolites, methane emissions were measured using the SF6 technique, and microbial diversity and composition were assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Polyphenol supplementation increased total SCFA concentration from 58.44 to 66.44 ± 3.00 mM (P = 0.08) and raised the molar proportion of propionate from 18.13 to 18.89 ± 0.29 mM/100 mM (P = 0.08). Blood glucose concentrations were significantly higher in supplemented cows, whereas other blood parameters were unaffected. Methane emissions did not differ between groups. Microbial community analyses revealed no effect on alpha diversity measures (Shannon index and richness), but an impact of treatment and time in beta diversity, with polyphenol supplementation associated with selective shifts in bacterial taxa, including greater relative abundance of Planctomycetota. These findings indicate that sugarcane‐derived polyphenols can beneficially modulate ruminal fermentation and microbial community structure without compromising microbial diversity. The increase in propionate and blood glucose suggests enhanced glucogenic potential, while unchanged methane emissions highlight the need for further studies to clarify the conditions under which sugarcane polyphenols may mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
Performance, Health, and Behavioral Responses of Pre-Weaned Calves to Different Liquid Diets and Physical Forms of Starter Mohammad Mortazavi, Cristiane Tomaluski, Elizangela Marino, Julia Feliciano, Jeniffer Alvarado-Castro, et al. Dairy, 2025 This study examines the critical role of whole milk or milk replacer as a liquid diet (LD) with 15% solids in combination with different physical forms of starter as a solid diet (SD), on performance, health, and behavior of pre-weaned calves. Sixty male Holstein calves were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design, and randomly distributed into the following treatments: Whole milk powder diluted to 12.5% of solids and enriched with 25 g/L of milk replacer to achieve 15% solids, associated with either micropelleted stater (WM+micro) or texturized stater (WM+text); milk replacer diluted to 15% solids associated with either micropelleted stater (MRmicro) or texturized stater (MRtext). Starter intake and, consequently, total DMI were higher in the MRtext treatment compared to WM+micro. Calves fed texturized starter showed higher DMI, starter intake time, and rumination time. Calves in the WM+Text group showed greater ADG compared with MR treatments, regardless of starter type. Calves fed WM+ presented a lower number of days with fecal score ≥2, and the first day of diarrhea occurred at older ages. Calves fed MR showed more health challenges but similar feed efficiency with WM+, while texturized starter increased intake, eating duration, and rumination compared with micropelleted starter.
Multi-Mycotoxin Contamination of Concentrates Fed to Dairy Calves in Southeast Brazil: A Case Report Rogério D’Antonio Pires, Aline Moreira Borowsky, Tobias Alves e Silva, Giovanna Canela Ruiz Castro Evangelista, Carla Maris Machado Bittar, et al. Dairy, 2025 The diet of dairy calves can be contaminated with mycotoxins, posing a potential risk to animal health. This case study report aimed to make the first assessment of the presence of multiple mycotoxins in concentrates fed to dairy calves in Brazil. A total of 19 concentrate samples intended for dairy calves were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol, and T-2 toxin were not detected in any samples, whereas fumonisins B1 (FB1) and B2 (FB2) were present in 100% of the samples, with mean concentrations of 2750.1 μg/kg and 834.9 μg/kg, respectively. Zearalenone (ZEN) was detected in 36.8% of samples, with a mean concentration of 929.9 μg/kg. Significant correlations were observed between FB1 and FB2 (ρ = 0.978; p < 0.001) and between FB2 and ZEN (ρ = 0.735; p = 0.05). While the physical form of the concentrate did not influence (p > 0.05) mycotoxin concentrations, a trend was observed for FB1 (ρ = −0.417; p = 0.07) and FB2 (ρ = −0.395; p = 0.09). These findings highlight the frequent occurrence of Fusarium mycotoxins, likely due to pre-harvest contamination, emphasizing the potential risk of additive or synergistic effects in dairy calves.
Supplementation with selenium, iron, and vitamin E in calves under immunological challenge Márcia S. V. Salles, Fábio J. F. Figueiroa, Carla M. M. Bittar, Viviani Gomes, Raquel S. Marques, et al. Frontiers in Animal Science, 2025 IntroductionThe management and nutrition of young calves are important for the production system due to their great impact on future milk production potential. This study was to evaluate the performance and health of calves in the suckling phase, with supplementation of selenium, iron, and vitamin E while undergoing immunological challenge with Anaplasma marginale.MethodsAn experiment was conducted on an experimental farm using 42 newborn Holstein male calves, aged up to 60 days, in a completely randomized design, and they were assigned to the following three treatments: C (control milk replacer, N = 14); SeVitE (milk replacer supplemented with 0.6 mg organic selenium/kg + 100 IU vitamin E, N = 14); SeVitEFe (milk replacer supplemented with 0.6 mg organic selenium/kg + 100 IU vitamin E + 200 mg Fe chelate/kg, N = 14).ResultsSelenium, iron, and vitamin E intakes were higher in supplemented animals. The mean blood count of Anaplasma marginale was lower in supplemented calves compared to controls and increased with time after inoculation. Increased serum selenium was observed in supplemented calves, without vitamin E and iron changes. Plasma lactate concentration was lower in supplemented animals and those with SeVitEFe had lower urea concentration at 60 days compared to control. Treatments did not influence hematological parameters, while some only changed with the age of animals. Plasma glutathione peroxidase concentrations were higher in supplemented animals, with the interaction between treatment and time, where higher concentrations were observed at 40 days of experiment for supplemented calves compared to control. Treatments did not influence the performance of animals. Animals with SeVitEFe showed a lower incidence of diarrhea in the first thirty days of the experiment.DiscussionSupplementation of selenium, iron, and vitamin E showed effectiveness in improving the animals’ oxidative metabolism, altering biochemical and hematological parameters, and reducing the pathogens of Anaplasma marginale, and the incidence of diarrhea, but did not enhance the animals’ performance.
