Table 4.

Impact of various DFM supplementation on health and performance of transition or lactating ruminants

DFM	Dosage	Delivery method	Animal	Health	Performance	Reference
S. cerevisiae E. faecium	5 × 109 cfu/d 2 × 109 cfu/d	Mixed with 0.5 kg ground corn and top-dressed	Transition dairy cows	–	No effect on DMI, milk yield, BW, plasma BHBA, NEFA, glucose, haptoglobin	[24]
			Lactating dairy cows (60–70 d in milk)	–	No effect on DMI, milk yield, milk and blood parameters; lower fecal starch content, greater apparent total-tract digestibility of starch
S. cerevisiae	2 × 1010 cfu/d	In ration	Primiparous lactating dairy cows challenged with SARA	Tended to alleviate SARA symptoms	No effect on DMI and milk yield	[122]
S. cerevisiae	8 × 1010 cfu/d	Mixed with ground corn	Multiparous lactating dairy cows	Improved ruminal pH	Increased DMI, milk yield, total VFA production, higher propionate	[40]
S. cerevisiae CNCM I-1077	1 × 1010 cfu/d	In ration	Lactating dairy cows	–	No effect on DMI, eating time, milk yield, production efficiency; tended to improve rumination, rumen temperature and milk fat production	[95]
S. cerevisiae CNCM I-4407	5 × 1010 cfu/d	Top-dressed on ration	Lactating dairy cows	Lower ruminal lactate, serum NEFA and BHBA, liver enzyme activities	Increased milk yield, rumen pH 4 h after morning feeding, total VFA and acetate concentration; No impact on propionate and butyrate concentrations; higher glucose at peak lactation	[11]
S. cerevisiae	4 × 109 cfu/d	Incorporated into a grape by-product and mixed with basal diet	Early lactating dairy goats	Similar plasma metabolites and liver enzymes; reduced fecal E. coli and increased lactobacilli (greater stability of intestinal ecosystem)	Greater DMI, milk production	[123]
S. cerevisiae	2 × 1010 cfu/d	In ration	Primi- and multiparous transition and early lactating dairy sheep	Suppressed pro-inflammatory gene expression during peripartum period	Increased milk yield; tended to increase milk fat production; enhanced energy utilization	[124]
Propionibacterium P63 L. plantarum 115 L. rhamnosus 32	P63 or P63 + Lp or P63 + Lr (1010 cfu/d of each strain)	In high-starch or low-starch diet	Lactating dairy cows	–	Rumen pH increased; no effect on ruminal VFA; P63 + Lr tended to reduce CH4 emission with low-starch diet	[20]
M. elsdenii	4.8 × 1012 cfu/d	Inoculation through ruminal cannula for 2 d	Lactating dairy cows challenged with SARA	Increased protozoa count, decreased S. bovis count	Increased total VFA concentration in the corn-based group; decreased VFA concentration in the wheat-based group	[42]
P. bryantii 25A	2 × 1011 cells/dose	In ration	Dairy cows in mid-lactation challenged with SARA	No effect on SARA symptoms	No effect on rumen pH	[44]
L. casei Zhang L. plantarum P-8	1:1: 6.5 × 1010 cfu/d	In ration for 30 d	Primiparous lactating dairy cows	No effect on fecal bacteria richness and diversity; enhanced rumen fermentative and beneficial bacteria; suppressed potential pathogens	No effect on milk fat, protein and lactose contents; increased milk production, milk immunoglobulin G, lactoferrin, lysozyme, lactoperoxidase; decreased somatic cell counts	[125]
S. cerevisiae Lactococcal	L: 1.6 × 1010 cfu/d; SC + L: yeast 8 × 1010 cfu/d and L .8 × 109 cfu/d	In ration	Healthy or mastitis lactating dairy cows	Alleviated mastitis by relieving mammary gland inflammation, reducing milk somatic cell counts, decreasing abundance of mastitis-causing pathogens (Enterococcus and Streptococcus)	–	[126]
B. licheniformis B. subtilis	2.56 × 109 viable spores/d in ewe’s feed	Mixed in the corn	Late pregnancy ewes, young lambs	No significant difference in mortality (mainly due to diarrhea)	Higher milk yield for ewes and increased fat and protein content in milk	[127]
L. reuteri DDL 19 L. alimentarius DDL 48 E. faecium DDE 39 B. bifidum spp.	1010 cfu/d	In ration	Mid-lactating dairy goats	More conserved morphological structures in intestine	Increased unsaturated fatty acid concentrations in milk, ruminal production of conjugated linoleic acid	[128]

BHBA Beta-hydroxybutyrate, BW Body weight, DMI Dry matter intake, NEFA Free fatty acids, or non-esterified fatty acids, SARA Subacute rumen acidosis, VFA Volatile fatty acids