Methionine is a nutritional and functional essential amino acid. Supplementation during the transition phase and at the beginning of lactation improves the health status and performance of high-producing dairy cows. The transition phase is the most critical period in the production cycle of dairy cows and is characterized by a challenged immune system. Factors which have an influence on this a...
Thank you Claudia. Very interesting observations. In our organisation we have developed a product that combines rumen inert methionine, choline, glycerine, C18:1 and glycerine together with vitamin E and organic selenium and the results are equally exciting.
Have you considered combining methionine with histidine?
Joe Magadi
The combination with histidine would make it less economically efficient. The high load of the first limiting amino acid methionine (85%) together with its unique coating makes Mepron the most efficient methionine source for ruminants. Histidine is pretty expensive even in a unprotected form.
No one can deny that the vital role of rumen protected methionine, but the main challenge of using protected amino acids are very costly. I think that if the ration are balanced for amino acids and covered for limited amino acids, it will be decreased the feed costs.
Hazem Hassanien
The pure product is costly per kg. As Mepron supplies methionine in a highly concentrated form (85% DL-methionine), it helps covering the first limiting amino acid without using high amounts of protein feeds that are more expensive per unit of methionine. In addition, it helps to reduce the nitrogen load and to improve the nitrogen efficiency. As total feed costs are reduced with less CP and better amino acid balancing, Mepron helps to increase the overall profitability.
Claudia Parys
Mepron is considered as NPN and produced normally by rumen microbes. It could be dispense with it in the dairy ration. On the other hand it doesn't consider as a true protein.
Regards
H
Hazem Hassanien
Capacity of Microbial protein ( Methionine ) is not sufficient for high yield milk dairy cows and addition of Protected sources is needed in order to support the best performance of the cows.
You are right, protected amino acids are costly and there must be justifiable return on investment. I probably would not use it for cows yielding less than 8000lt. In any case, if you can determine the amount of yield of rumen microbial protein and compare that will milk output you tell whether or not the cow needs rumen protected amino acids. You also need to look at the whole diet and the RUP supply.
Cows do have a requirement for nitrogen in the rumen and for metabolizable amino acids in the intestine, the art of formulating a diet is precisely to cover these requirements in the most profitable possible way.
Mepron or any other protected amino acid is an amino acid, it is not a protein and it is not NPN, and it does not need to be, and it is intended to deliver its payload in the intestine, not to have an effect in the rumen (therefore, the word "protected").
A high producing cow rumen is just not capable of producing enough Methionine to cover its needs. Here it is the point where it comes RUP as Joe Magadi very rightly says, and the use of protected amino acids can be profitable at this stage. Apart from the pure milk production (kgs, and fat and protein content) Methionine has other metabolic roles than can be very important in the transition stage.
Hi Luis,
You are right, we now know methionine plays a role in hepatic lipid metabolism, and in reproduction by influencing the accumulation of fatty acids that supply energy and are essential to fertility in the endometrium. Reduction of methionine is also established as a novel cellular mechanism for regulating oxidation which is important under conditions of oxidative stress in transition cows.
Hi Joe,
Yes, every time more metabolic roles for methionine are discovered. Considering methionine just as a tool to improve milk protein yield is quite outdated...
It is an important article in dairy cows and sharing necessary information for solving challenges during transition period.
My question is what the effect of methionine supplementation on heamato- biochemical profiles?
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