High-grain feeding contributes to endotoxin contamination in dairy milk

Abstract

To support milk production and milk quality, ruminant animals like dairy cows are particularly fed using concentrate containing high grain and starch. Nonetheless, this type of regimen feeding could induce subacute rumen acidosis condition. Then, these circumstances cause the lysis of gram-negative bacteria accompanied by endotoxin release in gut. More importantly, gut endotoxin could be translocated to mammary gland, whereby this condition negatively affects to milk safety. The aim of the review is to update and summarize the current knowledge regarding high-grain diet and the occurrence of endotoxin in milk of dairy cows. The data suggest that there is interplay between high-grain feeding for dairy cows to endotoxin contamination in milk.

Keywords: Dairy cows; Endotoxin; High-grain diet; Milk safety.