CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of lactose and a microbial inoculum integrated by three LAB strains of bovine origin to improve the growth performance and the intestinal microbial balance in young calves. The experimental group of calves was administered with an inoculum consisting of three microorganisms (Lactobacillus casei DSPV 318T, Lactobacillus salivarius DSPV 315T and Pediococcus acidilactici DSPV 006T) suspended in a solution of NaCl 0.15M, at a daily dose of 109 CFU/kg for 35 days, whereas the control group was administered NaCl solution as placebo. A factorial design in complete blocks at random was used. Four blocks with six calves each were built the six proposed treatments randomly distributed. The assay was performed along 35 days. The main effects of the probiotic lactose and time factors, as well as the interaction between both, were evaluated. Weight analysis showed that the difference was significant (P <0.05) for the probiotic factor (P0 = 51.1 kg; P1 = 52.9 kg). Probiotic and Lactose factors showed significant differences in values of the Lactobacillus spp. counts in feces. Animals that were supplemented with probiotic showed the highest LAB counts remaining constant during the trial. Animals who consumed the middle level of lactose showed the highest LAB counts. Although the probiotic treatment did not reduce the faecal count of coliforms, it generated differences (P<0.05) in the Lactobacillus/coliforms ratio. The results indicate that LAB improved growth performance of dairy calves exposed to nutritional stress. The strategy achieved with lactose in this study allowed generating a controlled imbalance in the gastrointestinal tract of calves. This model may be useful to evaluate the beneficial effect of the microbial inoculum with a probiotic potential, especially when adequate sanitary and environmental conditions hinder viewing.

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