Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T20:00:04.049Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence of flavomycin on microbial numbers, microbial metabolism and gut tissue protein turnover in the digestive tract of sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2007

Joan E. Edwards ,
Brian J. Bequette ,
Nest McKain ,
Neil R. McEwan  and
R. John Wallace
Joan E. Edwards
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, UK
Brian J. Bequette
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, UK
Nest McKain
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, UK
Neil R. McEwan
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, UK
R. John Wallace*
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Dr R. John Wallace, fax +44 (0)1224 716687, email rjw@rowett.ac.uk
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Flavomycin is an antibiotic that promotes growth in ruminant and non-ruminant livestock. The aim of this study was to determine the mechanism of action of flavomycin in sheep by measuring microbial numbers, microbial metabolism and gut tissue protein turnover at different sites in the digestive tract. Two weight-matched groups (n 5) of male castrate lambs (30 kg) received 800 g grass cubes/d for 6 weeks, with one group receiving 20 mg/d flavomycin during the last 2 weeks. Samples of digesta and gut tissue segments were obtained immediately post mortem, 90 min after a flood-dose of [ring-D5]phenylalanine. Viable bacterial counts and volatile fatty acid concentrations were highest in ruminal digesta, followed by the colon and caecum, then the duodenum and ileum. The only effect of flavomycin was an increased bacterial count in the rumen (3·5 v. 1·2×109 per g; P=0·04). Acetate was proportionally greater and propionate and butyrate were lower in the caecum and colon than the rumen. Flavomycin had no effect on volatile fatty acid proportions or ammonia concentrations. Bacteria growing on peptides as sole C source were not affected by flavomycin. Proteolytic, peptidolytic and amino acid deamination activities were similar in the rumen, caecum and colon; they tended to be lower in animals receiving flavomycin. Protein turnover in ruminal wall and duodenal tissues, measured by a flood-dose technique, decreased with flavomycin (P=0·075 and 0·027, respectively). Thus, flavomycin differs from ionophores in its mode of action. It may influence protein metabolism of both digesta and tissue throughout the ruminant digestive tract.

Keywords

Ammonia formationAntimicrobial feed additive‘Hyper-ammonia-producing’ bacteriaProtein turnover
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 94 , Issue 1 , July 2005 , pp. 64 - 70
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2005

References

Alert, HJ, Meier, H & Poppe, S (1991) Studies on Digestion Physiology After Use of Flavomycin in the Fattening of Young Beef Bulls. Trial Report. Rostock: University of Rostock.Google Scholar
Alexander, M (1982) Most probable number method for microbial populations. In Methods of Soil Analysis, 2nd ed., part 2, pp. 815–820. [AL Page, Miller, RH and Keeney, DR, editors] Agronomy Monograph no. 9. Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy.Google Scholar
Arieli, A & Sklan, D (1985) Energy disappearance in hindgut of sheep. J Dairy Sci 68, 2215–2219.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Armstead, IP & Ling, JR (1993) Variations in the uptake and metabolism of peptides and amino acids by mixed ruminal bacteria in vitro. Appl Environ Microbiol 59, 3360–3366.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Attwood, GT, Klieve, AV, Ouwerkerk, D & Patel, BKC (1998) Ammonia-hyperproducing bacteria from New Zealand ruminants. Appl Environ Microbiol 64, 1796–1804.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bauer, F & Dost, G (1971) Flavomycin, the first antibiotic intended exclusively as a food supplement. Blue Book Vet Prof 21, 87–92.Google Scholar
Cafantaris, B (1981) The effect of antibiotic supplements on microbial fermentation in the ruminal fluid in vitro. PhD Thesis, University of Hohenheim.Google Scholar
Calder, AG & Smith, A (1988) Stable isotope ratio analysis of leucine and isocaproic acid in blood plasma by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2, 14–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, G & Russell, JB (1988) Fermentation of peptides and amino acids by a monensin-sensitive ruminal Peptostreptococcus. Appl Environ Microbiol 54, 2742–2749.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cheng, K-J & Costerton, JW (1980) Adherent rumen bacteria – their role in the digestion of plant material, urea and epithelial cells. In Digestive Physiology and Metabolism in Ruminants, 227–250 [Ruckebusch, Y and Thivend, P, editors]. Lancaster: MTP Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dehority, BA, Tirabasso, PA & Grifo, AP (1989) Most-probable-number procedures for enumerating ruminal bacteria, including the simultaneous estimation of total and cellulolytic numbers in one medium. Appl Environ Microbiol 55, 2789–2792.Google Scholar
Dinsdale, D, Cheng, K-J, Wallace, RJ & Goodlad, RA (1980) Digestion of epithelial tissue of the rumen wall by adherent bacteria in infused and conventionally fed sheep. Appl Environ Microbiol 39, 1059–1066.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Edwards, JE (2003) Characterisation of the effect of flavomycin on the rumen microflora. PhD Thesis, University of Aberdeen.Google Scholar
Edwards, JE, McEwan, NR, McKain, N, Walker, ND & Wallace, RJ (2005) Influence of flavomycin on ruminal fermentation and microbial populations in sheep. Microbiology, 151, 717–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Edwards, JE, Wallace, RJ & McEwan, NR (2002) The growth promoting mode of action of flavomycin in ruminants. Reprod Nutr Dev 42, S55.Google Scholar
Eschenlauer, SCP, McKain, N, Walker, ND, McEwan, NR, Newbold, CJ & Wallace, RJ, (2002) Ammonia production by ruminal microorganisms and enumeration, isolation, and characterization of bacteria capable of growth on peptides and amino acids from the sheep rumen. Appl Environ Microbiol 68, 4925–4931.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Faichney, GJ (1969) Production of volatile fatty acids in the sheep caecum. Aust J Agric Res 20, 491–498.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Febel, H, Szelenyi, M, Jecsai, J & Juhasz, B (1988) Effect of salinomycin, flavomycin and avoparcin on some physiological traits of growing lambs, with particular respect to rumen fermentation. Acta Veterin Hungar 36, 69–80.Google ScholarPubMed
Galbraith, H, Scaife, JR & Lowe, RH (1983) Response of growing bulls to the food additives, salinomycin and flavomycin (abstract). Anim Prod 36, 527–528.Google Scholar
Garcia, MM, Becker, SA, Brooks, BW, Berg, JN & Finegold, SM (1992) Ultrastructure and molecular characterization of Fusobacterium necrophorum biovars. Can J Vet Res 56, 318–325.Google ScholarPubMed
Hamann, J (1983) Flavomycin treatment in dairy cows – results from a field study. Tierarztliche Umschau 38, 90–98.Google Scholar
Hecker, JF (1971) Metabolism of nitrogenous compounds in the large intestine of sheep. Br J Nutr 25, 85–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hochella, NJ & Whitehouse, S (1965) Automated lactic acid determination in serum and tissue extracts. Anal Biochem 10, 304–317.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jimenez, R, Piriz, S, Mateos, E & Vadillo, S (2004) Minimum inhibitory concentrations for 25 selected antimicrobial agents against Dichelobacter nodosus and Fusobacterium strains isolated from footrot in sheep of Portugal and Spain. J Vet Med B Infect Dis Vet Public Health 51, 245–248.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Krause, DO & Russell, JB (1996) An rRNA approach for assessing the role of obligate amino acid fermenting bacteria in ruminal amino acid deamination. Appl Environ Microbiol 62, 815–821.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lechtenberg, KF, Nagaraja, TG & Chengappa, MM (1998) Antimicrobial susceptibility of Fusobacterium necrophorum isolated from bovine hepatic abscesses. Am J Veter Res 59, 44–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ling, JR & Armstead, IP (1995) The in vitro uptake and metabolism of peptides and amino acids by five species of rumen bacteria. J Appl Bacteriol 78, 116–124.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacRae, JC, Bruce, LA & Yu, F (1999) The effect of Flavomycin on gastrointestinal leucine metabolism and liveweight gain in lambs (abstract). S Afr J Anim Sci 29, 243–244.Google Scholar
Mann, SO & Oslash;rskov, ER (1973) The effect of rumen and post-rumen feeding of carbohydrates on the caecal microflora of sheep. J Appl Bacteriol 36, 475–484.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Masoero, F, Prandini, A & Fiorentini, L (1991) Flavomycin/Physiology Trial in Dairy Cattle in vitro. Report of First Trial Phase in vitro with RUSITEC: Catholic University of Piacenza, Italy.Google Scholar
Mateos, E, Piriz, S, Valle, J, Hurtado, M & Vadillo, S (1997) Minimum inhibitory concentrations for selected antimicrobial agents against Fusobacterium necrophorum isolated from hepatic abscesses in cattle and sheep. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 20, 21–23.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McKain, N, Edwards, JE, Wallace, RJ, MacRae, JC, Bequette, BJ & Bruce, L (2000) Effects of flavomycin in the gastrointestinal tract of sheep. Reprod Nutr Dev 40, 222.Google Scholar
McNurlan, MA, Tomkins, AM & Garlick, PJ (1979) The effect of starvation on the rate of protein synthesis in rat liver and small intestine. Biochem J 178, 373–379.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Michalet-Doreau, B, Fernandez, I & Fonty, G (2002) A comparison of enzymatic and molecular approaches to characterize the cellulolytic microbial ecosystems of the rumen and the cecum. J Anim Sci 80, 790–796.Google Scholar
Morrison, M & Mackie, RI (1996) Nitrogen metabolism by ruminal microorganisms: current understanding and future perspectives. Aust J Agric Res 47, 227–246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, PJ, Rowe, JB & Aitchison, EM (1990) The influence of protein quality on the effect of flavomycin on wool growth, liveweight change and rumen fermentation in sheep. Austr J Agric Res 41, 987–993.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, PJ, Winslow, SG & Rowe, JB (1992) Conditions under which flavomycin increases wool growth and liveweight gain in sheep. Austr J Agric Res 43, 367–377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nagaraja, TG, Beharka, AB, Chengappa, MM, Carroll, LH, Raun, AP, Laudert, SB & Parrott, JC (1999) Bacterial flora of liver abscesses in feedlot cattle fed tylosin or no tylosin. J Anim Sci 77, 973–978.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nagaraja, TG, Newbold, CJ, Van Nevel, CJ & Demeyer, DI (1997) Manipulation of ruminal fermentation. In The Rumen Microbial Ecosystem, pp.523–632 [Hobson, PN and Stewart, CS, editors]. London: Chapman & Hall.Google Scholar
Newbold, CJ, Wallace, RJChen, XB & McIntosh, F (1995) Different strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae differ in their effects on ruminal bacterial numbers in vitro, in sheep. J Anim Sci 73, 1811–1818.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Packett, LV, Myers, JJ & Jackson, HD (1966) Gastrointestinal content and mucosal oxidation of volatile fatty acids in sheep. J Anim Sci 25, 402–405.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rebolini, O, Gallazzi, D & Valerani, L (1982) Use of flavophospholipol as a growth promotant in feeds for fattening rabbits. Coniglicoltura 19, 57–60.Google Scholar
Reidel, G, Reiter, H & Losch, U (1974) Effect of oral flavophospholipol (FPL) on the growth of germfree chickens. Z Tierphysiol 32, 328–334.Google Scholar
Rowe, JB, Morrell, JS & Broome, AWJ (1982) Flavomycin as a ruminant growth promoter – investigation of the mode of action. Proc Nutr Soc 41, A56.Google Scholar
Russell, JB, Diez-Gonzalez, F & Jarvis, GN (2000) Invited review: effects of diet shifts on Escherichia coli in cattle. J Dairy Sci 83, 863–873.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Russell, JB, Onodera, R & Hino, T (1991) Ruminal protein fermentation: new perspectives on previous contradictions. In Physiological Aspects of Digestion and Metabolism in Ruminants, pp.681 –697 [Tsuda, T, Sasaki, Y, and Kawashima, R, editors]. San Diego: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Tan, ZL, Nagaraja, TG & Chengappa, MM (1996) Fusobacterium necrophorum infections: virulence factors, pathogenic mechanism and control measures. Vet Res Commun 20, 113–140.Google Scholar
Ullyatt, MJ, Dellow, DW, Reid, CSW & Bauchop, T (1975) Structure and function of the large intestine of ruminants. In Digestion and Metabolism in the Ruminant, pp.119–133 [McDonald, IWM and Warner, AC, editors]. Armidale, Australia: University of New England Publishing Unit.Google Scholar
Van Nevel, CV & Demeyer, D (1987) Modification of rumen protein fermentation in vitro by antibiotics. Med Fac Landbouww Rijksuniv 52, 1691–1701.Google Scholar
Wallace, RJ (1996) Rumen microbial metabolism of peptides and amino acids. J Nutr 126, 1326S–1334S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wallace, RJ, Newbold, CJ, Bequette, BJ, MacRae, JC & Lobley, GE (2001) Increasing the flow of protein from ruminal fermentation – review. Asian-Austr J Anim Sci 14, 885–893.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wallhausser, KH, Nesemann, G, Prave, P & Steigler, A (1965) Moenomycin, a new antibiotic. I. Fermentation and isolation. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother 5, 734–736.Google ScholarPubMed
Ward, JK, Richardson, D & Tsien, WS (1961) Volatile fatty acid concentrations and proportions in the gastrointestinal tract of full-fed beef heifers. J Anim Sci 20, 830–832.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wester, TJ, Lobley, GE, Birnie, LM, Crompton, LA, Brown, S, Buchan, V, Calder, AG, Milne, E & Lomax, MA (2004) Effect of plasma insulin and branched-chain amino acids on skeletal muscle protein synthesis in fasted lambs. Br J Nutr 92, 401–409.Google Scholar
Whitehead, R, Cooke, GH & Chapman, BT (1967) Problems associated with the continuous monitoring of ammoniacal nitrogen in river water. Anal Chem 11, 77–380.Google Scholar