Table 5.

Summary of studies in periparturient dairy cows investigating the effects of supplemental live yeast or yeast-based products on performances in the prepartum and Early lactation

Nutraceutical	Treatment	Period	Main outcome	Reference
Live yeast	5 g/d/head	Early lactation (40 d in milking)	Greater VFA and rumen pH Greater fibrolytic and lactate-using bacteria	[108]
	2.5 g/d/head precalving and 10 g/d/head postcalving	From − 14 to 70 d relative to parturition	Higher rumen acetate proportion and lower ammonia nitrogen in early lactation Greater % of milk fat	[109]
Yeast culture	56 g/d/head	From calving to 14 weeks postpartum	Greater milk yield, + 1.4 kg/d + 1.6 kg/d of 3.5% FCM + 1.7 kg/d of ECM + 0.07 kg/d of milk fat	[110]
	60 g/d/head	From − 21 to 140 d relative to parturition	Higher DMI in the prepartum, + 2.10 kg/d Higher DMI in the postpartum, + 1.80 kg/d	[111]
	20 g/d/head	From − 21/− 28 to 41 d relative to parturition	Higher DMI in the first 2 d of lactation, + 5.94 kg/d +  0.14% of milk fat	[112]
Yeast culture + Enzymatically hydrolized yeast	28 g/d/head	From calving to 14 weeks postpartum	+ 1.6 milk yield, kg/d + 1.8 kg/d of 3.5% FCM + 1.9 kg/d of ECM + 0.08 kg/d of milk fat + 0.07 kg/d of milk protein	[113]
Saccharomices cereviseae fermentation product	16.0 ± 0.7 g/d prepartum and 18.9 ± 0.5 g/d postpartum	From 29 to 42 d relative to calving	+ 0.36% of milk fat + 0.91 of milk urea nitrogen Multiparous, higher BHB	[114]
	19 g/d/head	From 28 to 42 d relative to calving	Supplementing SCFP and reducing dietary starch content after calving may reduce inflammation and improve health status of the animal after calving	[115]
	56 or 112 g/d/head	From −4 weeks to 4 weeks relative to calving	+ 5.15 milk yeald, kg/d + 0.14 protein, kg/d + 0.26 lactose, kg/d lower SCC (− 80.5 cells/μL)	[116]

VFA volatile fatty acid, FCM fat corrected milk, ECM energy corrected milk, DMI dry matter intake, BHB beta-hydroxybutyrate, SCFP Saccaromices cereviseae fermentation product, SCC somatic cells count