Performance of dairy cows fed normal- or reduced-starch diets supplemented with an exogenous enzyme preparation

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of supplementation of an exogenous enzyme preparation (EEP) on performance, total-tract digestibility of nutrients, plasma AA profile, and milk fatty acids composition in lactating dairy cows fed a reduced-starch diet compared with a normal-starch diet (i.e., positive control). Forty-eight Holstein cows (28 primiparous and 20 multiparous) were enrolled in a 10-wk randomized complete block design experiment with 16 cows per treatment. Treatments were as follows: (1) normal-starch diet (control) containing (% dry matter basis) 24.8% starch and 33.0% neutral detergent fiber (NDF), (2) reduced-starch diet (RSD) containing 18.4% starch and 39.1% NDF, or (3) RSD supplemented with 10 g/cow per day of an EEP (ENZ). The EEP contained amylolytic and fibrolytic activities and was top-dressed on the total mixed ration at the time of feeding. Compared with normal-starch diet, dry matter intake and milk and energy-corrected milk (ECM) yields were lower (on average by 7.1, 9.5, and 7.2%, respectively) for cows on the RSD treatments. Concentrations, but not yields, of milk fat and total solids were increased by RSD. Energy-corrected milk feed efficiency did not differ among treatments. Total-tract digestibility of NDF tended to increase by RSD treatments. Plasma AA concentrations were not affected by treatment, except that of 3-methylhistidine was increased by ENZ, compared with RSD. Blood glucose concentration tended to be lower in cows on the RSD treatments, but ENZ increased glucose and tended to increase insulin concentrations at 4 h after feeding when compared with RSD. Cows on the RSD treatments had decreased concentrations of de novo fatty acids and tended to have increased concentrations of preformed fatty acids in milk. Overall, decreasing dietary starch concentration by 26% decreased dry matter intake, milk, and ECM yields, but ECM feed efficiency was not different among treatments. The negative effects of reducing dietary starch on production were not attenuated by the EEP.