Sub-acute and acute ruminal acidosis: an interdisciplinary approach to understand and prevent a multifactorial disease
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: College of Medical, Veterinary, Life Sci
Abstract
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Technical Summary
Sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) affects some cattle herds, but not others, and individual animals within herds, but not others. The root cause of the dysfunction is the loss of control of ruminal and possibly intestinal pH. SARA is generally caused by grain feeding, but the basis of the variability requires better definition and the precise cause of inflammation and pathology remains uncertain. This project will monitor six beef and two dairy herds for nutrition and management and relate the information to post-mortem scores of ruminal wall lesions, liver abscesses and laminitis. The potential value of remote motion sensors in alerting farmers to problematic animals will be explored. Ruminal digesta and ruminal epithelial tissue samples taken post mortem will be analyzed by state-of-the-art microbiomic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, in order to identify significant differences in microbial communities in different animal types. Different Escherichia coli biotypes will be monitored. Bacteria will be isolated from least affected animals for their ability to inhibit the growth or adhesion properties of E. coli, on the basis that these animals may already possess bacteria that protect them from SARA. Candidate strains will be evaluated for their potential usefulness as probiotics to prevent or treat SARA. The hypothesis that soluble lipopolysaccharide (LPS) lies at the heart of the inflammation which results in pathology will be tested by measuring the quantities and nature of cell-free LPS in different animals. Possible feed additives that adsorb or break down LPS will be evaluated in digesta samples from badly affected animals. Demonstration animal trials will be carried out in the third year of the project to test the potential nutritional, management and feed-additive solutions identified by the project's results.
Planned Impact
Who will benefit from this research and how?
A wide international spectrum of academic researchers will benefit from the project, because SARA is a widespread problem internationally. Researchers interested in ruminant health and welfare and those whose main interest is ruminant gut microbiology will be the primary beneficiaries. They will be able to translate the results to their own production conditions where SARA is endemic. The results will be of wider interest, however, because although SARA is a disorder that afflicts ruminant species, researchers interested more generally in inflammation that originates in the gastrointestinal tract of other species, including man, will benefit. Related fields include equine health and poultry production: researchers in these areas will build upon the novelty of this project to determine if the aetiology of their target diseases, in terms of microbiology, inflammatory factors and pathology compare. New research and research proposals for these different animal species could result. Medical researchers may benefit too: the concept of soluble LPS has not yet been explored in human disease, for example. One might speculate that soluble LPS may have an important, as yet uninvestigated, role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in man. Our project may spark useful medical research in this area. Microbiome profiling will provide information about how diet and the individual animal affect numbers and species of methanogenic archaea in the rumen, thereby aiding research into greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture. Ruminal microbial ecology in UK ruminants is under-studied in the modern era: the project will help correct that deficiency.
Veterinary practitioners and public sector advisers from colleges of agriculture and levy bodies will benefit by being better equipped to advise farmers. The project will describe management and nutritional factors associated with variations in the incidence of SARA, information that farmers' advisers can use on-farm. Vets will be able to make better diagnosis of SARA and they will be able to suggest solutions from those feed additives coming out of the SARA project. The probiotic(s) will be useful to help prevent pathological problems in susceptible farms and animals. The adsorbants may be useful in prevention but also to treat the condition. The market potential for a successful feed additive is many millions of pounds. The advisors may consider the remote monitoring system a useful mechanism to monitor the success or otherwise of strategies to ameliorate SARA. The academic partner expert in remote broadband technology has a spin-out SME that will benefit if the technology is found to be generally useful in an on-farm situation. The companies selling these additives and devices will benefit commercially. Initially, those will be from within the consortium. However, as the results are disseminated, more companies in the UK and worldwide will take up the technologies.
Farmers will benefit economically. The beef industry nationwide has a value of £2.22bn at 2009 values. It follows that even a 20% loss of productivity caused by SARA may cost livestock producers £146M p.a. Dairying has a similar incidence of therefore the loss to farmers (and the UK economy) could easily exceed £250M p.a. The economic impact will be felt across the globe in countries that suffer from SARA in their ruminants, including the US (26% of mid-lactation cows suffer SARA), the Netherlands and Germany (18%). Livestock production in the UK will gain against its international competitors and, by retaining the IP in the UK, the economic competitiveness of the United Kingdom will be enhanced. Societal benefit will stem from improved economics and sustainability of food production and a healthier national herd. The livestock will benefit by being less subject to the distress of SARA, thus enhancing animal welfare.
A wide international spectrum of academic researchers will benefit from the project, because SARA is a widespread problem internationally. Researchers interested in ruminant health and welfare and those whose main interest is ruminant gut microbiology will be the primary beneficiaries. They will be able to translate the results to their own production conditions where SARA is endemic. The results will be of wider interest, however, because although SARA is a disorder that afflicts ruminant species, researchers interested more generally in inflammation that originates in the gastrointestinal tract of other species, including man, will benefit. Related fields include equine health and poultry production: researchers in these areas will build upon the novelty of this project to determine if the aetiology of their target diseases, in terms of microbiology, inflammatory factors and pathology compare. New research and research proposals for these different animal species could result. Medical researchers may benefit too: the concept of soluble LPS has not yet been explored in human disease, for example. One might speculate that soluble LPS may have an important, as yet uninvestigated, role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in man. Our project may spark useful medical research in this area. Microbiome profiling will provide information about how diet and the individual animal affect numbers and species of methanogenic archaea in the rumen, thereby aiding research into greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture. Ruminal microbial ecology in UK ruminants is under-studied in the modern era: the project will help correct that deficiency.
Veterinary practitioners and public sector advisers from colleges of agriculture and levy bodies will benefit by being better equipped to advise farmers. The project will describe management and nutritional factors associated with variations in the incidence of SARA, information that farmers' advisers can use on-farm. Vets will be able to make better diagnosis of SARA and they will be able to suggest solutions from those feed additives coming out of the SARA project. The probiotic(s) will be useful to help prevent pathological problems in susceptible farms and animals. The adsorbants may be useful in prevention but also to treat the condition. The market potential for a successful feed additive is many millions of pounds. The advisors may consider the remote monitoring system a useful mechanism to monitor the success or otherwise of strategies to ameliorate SARA. The academic partner expert in remote broadband technology has a spin-out SME that will benefit if the technology is found to be generally useful in an on-farm situation. The companies selling these additives and devices will benefit commercially. Initially, those will be from within the consortium. However, as the results are disseminated, more companies in the UK and worldwide will take up the technologies.
Farmers will benefit economically. The beef industry nationwide has a value of £2.22bn at 2009 values. It follows that even a 20% loss of productivity caused by SARA may cost livestock producers £146M p.a. Dairying has a similar incidence of therefore the loss to farmers (and the UK economy) could easily exceed £250M p.a. The economic impact will be felt across the globe in countries that suffer from SARA in their ruminants, including the US (26% of mid-lactation cows suffer SARA), the Netherlands and Germany (18%). Livestock production in the UK will gain against its international competitors and, by retaining the IP in the UK, the economic competitiveness of the United Kingdom will be enhanced. Societal benefit will stem from improved economics and sustainability of food production and a healthier national herd. The livestock will benefit by being less subject to the distress of SARA, thus enhancing animal welfare.
Publications
Jonsson NN
(2020)
Postmortem observations on rumen wall histology and gene expression and ruminal and caecal content of beef cattle fattened on barley-based rations.
in Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience
Davison C
(2021)
Predicting feed intake using modelling based on feeding behaviour in finishing beef steers.
in Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience
Ferguson HJ
(2022)
Light microscopic observations of the ruminal papillae of cattle on diets with divergent forage to cereal ratios.
in Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience
Denwood M
(2018)
Describing temporal variation in reticuloruminal pH using continuous monitoring data
in Journal of Dairy Science
Hamilton AW
(2019)
Identification of the Rumination in Cattle Using Support Vector Machines with Motion-Sensitive Bolus Sensors.
in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
Francesio A
(2020)
Contrasting effects of high-starch and high-sugar diets on ruminal function in cattle.
in The Journal of dairy research
Jonsson NN
(2019)
Evaluation of reticuloruminal pH measurements from individual cattle: Sampling strategies for the assessment of herd status.
in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
Description | 1. We are re-defining the syndrome currently known as SARA and improving the diagnostic criteria. 2. Rumen pH is a poor indicator of compensation for high carbohydrate challenge 3. Carbohydrate challenge directly induces a systemic inflammatory response in cattle before there is any adverse effect on production 4. Probiotic ingredients in feed can substantially modify immune and inflammatory status in cattle |
Exploitation Route | Professional practice among veterinarians and nutritionists - our work will be built into future recommendations and a redefinition of the syndrome to enable more effective management of it. |
Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
URL | http://www.abdn.ac.uk/rowett/projects/sara/what-is-sara.php |
Description | Several presentations have been made to nutritionists, veterinarians and farmers. Feed-producers are concentrating on size of particle in cereals more than previously. Milling methods have improved. We have developed a new method of measuring ruminal function via measurement of contraction rate. We have refined the use of continuous pH measurements for detecting acidosis problems in cattle. |
First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
Impact Types | Economic |
Description | BBSRC research experience placement |
Amount | £2,500 (GBP) |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2014 |
End | 09/2014 |
Description | Hannah Research Foundation |
Amount | £75,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Hannah Dairy Research Foundation |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2014 |
End | 08/2017 |
Title | Accelerometer and gyroscopic rumen sensor |
Description | This new device can measure rumen contraction and report in real time, allowing assessment of rumen function. |
Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | None yet - is in development with Strathclyde partners - see under partnerships |
Title | Post mortem observations on ruminal histology and gene expression and ruminal and caecal content of beef cattle fattened on barley-based rations |
Description | The dataset is a collection of observations of dietary and management inputs on farms and post mortem observations on cattle after slaughter in a commercial abattoir. Farms that were considered to be high-risk for inducing a syndrome of acidosis were contrasted with those that were considered to be low-risk on the basis of dietary inputs. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Description | AB Vista Comparative Study |
Organisation | AB Vista |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Conducting a research trial to compare the responses of sheep and cattle to grain supplementation to determine the conditions under which sheep would be an acceptable model for studies of the effect of supplements on bovine rumen function. |
Collaborator Contribution | Financial and some advice |
Impact | Project completed. Thesis chapter has been written. Thesis submitted and the chapter is being revised for publication. |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | Cost dairy care action |
Organisation | University of Copenhagen |
Country | Denmark |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I am an organiser and main architect of a WG3 Cost Dairy Care Action 2016 |
Collaborator Contribution | Organisational, structural |
Impact | Conference in April 2016 - completed successfully. Cost action now concluding. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Harbro Limited Secondment |
Organisation | Harbro |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | I am currently seconded to Harbro Ltd to follow up on the results of this project. |
Collaborator Contribution | Secondment - 25% salary payment. Contribution via Precision Beef Project £30,000 |
Impact | Working on several, distinct projects including field trials of Harbro products |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Strathclyde - monitoring rumen function |
Organisation | University of Strathclyde |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I have worked on the development of novel sensors to quantify ruminal function in cattle and sheep. So far, we have developed a prototype device and tested it under standard conditions. It works. My contribution has been in animal physiology and conducting the animal experiments. We are preparing 3 papers for publication at present. |
Collaborator Contribution | Hardware and technology development. |
Impact | Prototype device Improved understanding of functionality of existing "Silent Herdsman" collars |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | AHDB - Dairy 2016 march Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | I presented preliminary results from the SARA project and challenged the definition of the condition. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | COST DAIRY CARE SARA WORKSHOP |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This was a large, themed workshop in which we discussed the case definitions for SARA, and thrashed out the basis of a future classification system for the disease.There were about 150 attendees and it was made available as an online webinar. Presentations are still available online here http://www.dairycareaction.org/wg3-glasgow-workshop.html |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://www.dairycareaction.org/wg3-glasgow-workshop.html |
Description | HARBRO CPD |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Training on management of ruminal acidosis for Harbro PLC |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Leipzig 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Workshop on SARA for the Leipzig University as CPD for veterinary practitioners |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Society for Feed Technologists UK |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | I presented a paper on rumen acidosis to the Society of Feed Technologists on Thursday 19 April 2018. There were approximately 200 people in attendance, mostly derived from the livestock feed industry. Most were in sales or professional capacities. Have followed up with some discussions regarding possible research collaborations subsequently. I cannot verify any outcomes or impacts from this meeting. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://sft.uk.com/events-conferences/ruminant-conference-including-sft-agm/ |
Description | Veterinary CPD |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Continuing professional development meetings for veterinary practitioners regarding the sub-acute rumen acidosis project. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013,2014,2015 |