Prophylactic use of a standardized botanical extract for the prevention of naturally occurring diarrhea in newborn Holstein calves

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prophylactic use of SB-300 (Jaguar Animal Health, San Francisco, CA), a standardized botanical extract isolated from the bark latex of Croton lechleri, on reducing fecal water losses and diarrhea events in Holstein bull calves individually housed under a restricted whole-milk feeding regimen (6 L/d) from 1 to 25 d of life. Fluid therapy administration due to dehydration, average weight gain, and the fecal microbiome were also evaluated. Bull calves used in this study were born from normal parturition, fed 4 L of pooled pasteurized colostrum by esophageal feeder, and moved to a research facility at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY). A double-blinded randomized clinical trial was designed to allocate a total of 40 newborn calves into 1 of 2 treatment groups: calves receiving (twice daily) a solution containing 500 mg of SB-300 added to the whole milk for the first 15 d of life (SB-300, n = 20) or a control group receiving sterile water added to whole milk for the same period (CTR, n = 20). Treatment solutions had a total volume of 10 mL per treatment. Data regarding fecal dry matter were collected to precisely measure water content in fecal samples and to define diarrhea events; the SB-300 group had significantly increased fecal dry matter during the study period. Additionally, significantly fewer events of diarrhea were observed for calves in the SB-300 group (16.9%) compared with calves in the CTR group (46.5%). Dehydration status was evaluated and treated accordingly; calves with moderate dehydration were offered oral electrolytes, and calves with severe dehydration were rescued with intravenous fluid therapy. Calves in the SB-300 group had fewer intravenous fluid therapies administered during the study period (1.6%) compared with the CTR group (3.1%). Overall fluid therapy administered (oral electrolytes plus intravenous fluids) was significantly higher for the CTR group (9.2%) compared with the SB-300 group (6.1%) during the study period. No differences in milk consumption, calf starter intake, or weight gain were observed between treatment groups. A single time increase in Bifidobacterium was observed on d 20 of life for the SB-300 group; otherwise, no differences in fecal microbiome profile were detected between treatment groups. These results suggest that 500 mg of SB-300 added to the milk for 15 d can reduce the incidence of diarrhea and reduce severe dehydration in milk-fed calves.

Keywords: SB-300 botanical extract; calves; diarrhea; microbiome.

Figure 1

Fecal DM was measured twice daily for each of the treatment days (d 1 to 15). Additional samples were collected twice on d 20 and once on d 25 before the end of the study. Treatments were administered twice daily with whole milk for the first 15 d of life. The effect of treatment, days, and the interaction between treatment and days are also displayed. Control calves (n = 19) were administered 10 mL of sterile water (added to milk), twice daily, for the first 15 d of life; calves in the SB-300 group (n = 18) were fed 500 mg of a standardized botanical extract (SB-300, Jaguar Animal Health, San Francisco, CA) diluted in 10 mL of sterile water. Values are least square means ± standard errors.

Figure 2

Diarrhea was recorded every day for all the calves in the study; an event of diarrhea was confirmed when a calf fecal sample presented at least one of the twice-daily measurements of fecal DM ≤10.0%. Treatments were administered twice daily with whole milk for the first 15 d of life. The effect of treatment, days, and the interaction between treatment and days are also displayed. Control calves (n = 19) were administered 10 mL of sterile water (added to milk), twice daily, for the first 15 d of life; calves in the SB-300 group (n = 18) were fed 500 mg of a standardized botanical extract (SB-300, Jaguar Animal Health, San Francisco, CA) diluted in 10 mL of sterile water. The y-axis represents the model-adjusted proportion of calves with diarrhea and x-axis represents days into the study. Values are least square means ± standard errors.

Figure 3

The effect of treatment on BW measured at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 d of life was evaluated by a general linear mixed model. The effect of treatment, days, and the interaction between treatment and days are displayed. The y-axis represents the least squares means of BW and the x-axis represents the days of BW measurement. Control calves (CTR; n = 19) were administered 10 mL of sterile water (added to milk), twice daily, for the first 15 d of life; calves in the SB-300 group (n = 18) were fed 500 mg of a standardized botanical extract (SB-300, Jaguar Animal Health, San Francisco, CA) diluted in 10 mL of sterile water. Values are least square means ± standard errors.

Figure 4

Descriptive distribution of the mean relative abundance (%) of the most prevalent bacterial phyla identified in fecal samples of control calves (CTR, n = 19) and calves receiving standardized botanical extract (SB-300, n = 18). Control calves were administered 10 mL of sterile water (added to milk), twice daily, for the first 15 d of life; calves in the SB-300 group were fed 500 mg of a standardized botanical extract (SB-300, Jaguar Animal Health, San Francisco, CA) diluted in 10 mL of sterile water. Fecal samples were collected once daily at 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 d of life. Color version available online.

Figure 5

Comparison of mean relative abundance of 3 genera previously associated with healthy gut microbiome: Bifidobacterium (A), Lactobacillus (B), Fecalibacterium (C), and 1 genus related to unhealthy microbiota: Escherichia (D) found in fecal samples. Control calves (dark gray bars; n = 19) were administered 10 mL of sterile water (added to milk), twice daily, for the first 15 d of life; calves in the SB-300 group (light gray bars; n = 18) were fed 500 mg of a standardized botanical extract (SB-300, Jaguar Animal Health, San Francisco, CA) diluted in 10 mL of sterile water. The y-axis represents the mean relative abundance in percentage and the x-axis represents the data point of each fecal sample collected (days of sampling). Values are least square means ± standard errors. *P < 0.003: statistical difference adjusted by Bonferroni between CTR and SB-300 within day.