New Avivagen OxC-beta product can increase protein content of milk by 15.8%
The company said because antibiotics are not widely used to enhance productivity in dairy cattle during lactation, the trial has the potential to expand market opportunities of OxC-beta beyond replacement of antibiotics used as growth promoters.
The testing was conducted by COFCO Biotech of Beijing, China.
Benefits for producers and consumers
Avivagen said the results demonstrated supplementation with OxC-beta increased the protein content of milk by 15.8%, and improved several other indicators of milk quality when compared to controls.
It said OxC-beta has the potential to provide a benefit to producers and consumers: Dairy producers receive a premium for their milk, while consumers can benefit from increased nutritional value of the milk.
Dr Hongyu Zhang, assistant general manager and product director at COFCO Biotech, and the scientist responsible for oversight of the trial, said the results demonstrate that dietary supplementation with OxC-beta benefited milk quality.
“COFCO Biotech considers these findings positive and we see strong potential for OxC-beta in the Chinese dairy industry,” Zhang said.
Product trials
Dr Jamie Nickerson, director of product validation at Avivagen, said the tests show OxC-beta survives passage through the rumen.
“The results not only support the use of OxC-beta for dairy cattle but they also highlight that use in other high-value ruminant species, such as beef cattle, is also feasible,” Nickerson said.
“This trial is the first to demonstrate that OxC-beta is capable of improving productivity parameters beyond growth rate, feed efficiency, and weight gain, indicating the technology has a broader range of potential applications besides just promoting growth.”
The trial ran for 35 days at a commercial dairy near Beijing, China, and evaluated two doses of OxC-beta for the ability to improve productivity and milk quality in lactating dairy cows.
The potential benefits of dietary supplementation with OxC-beta were assessed by comparison to a non-supplemented control group.
Non-antibiotic use
The OxC-beta technology is derived from Avivagen work on carotenoids, the compounds that give certain fruits and vegetables their bright colors.
Applications include use as a non-antibiotic means of maintaining optimal health and growth. OxC-beta Livestock is currently registered and available for sale in the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.
