Managing Biotoxins – Forever Chemicals

Managing Biotoxins – Forever Chemicals

Posted on by Thomas

Imagine you are a livestock producer and every single one of your animals is contaminated with a hazardous substance and must be destroyed. Back in 1973 that’s what happened to many farmers when a fire retardant called polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) was accidentally mixed into livestock feed. As a result over 500 contaminated Michigan farms were quarantined, and many animals had to be destroyed. Losses included approximately:

  • 30,000 cattle
  • 4,500 pigs
  • 1,500 sheep
  • 5 million chickens
  • 800 tons of animal feed
  • 18,000 pounds of cheese
  • 2,500 pounds of butter
  • 5 million eggs
  • 34,000 pounds of dried milk products.

Between the time of distribution of feed and the destruction of contaminated animals, dairy, egg, and meat products, many people had been exposed to PBB from eating contaminated products. The Michigan Department of Public Health responded by embarking upon a long-term study to evaluate the health of those exposed to PBB. Negative effects from the exposure included:

  • Abnormalities of the liver, kidney, skin, brain, eye, and adrenal glands.
  • Thyroid problems.
  • Lower Apgar scores.
  • Earlier menstruation.
  • Increased risk of miscarriage.
  • Breast cancer.
  • Urinary and genital problems.

It is now estimated that 8 million people carry the toxic chemical PBB in their bodies.

A Matter of When Not If

More recently another family farm faced the reality that their 3,665 cow herd would have to be euthanized due to contamination of another sort of fire retardant, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

July 2017 an inspection by Air Force scientists found water contamination of PFAS near Schaap Dairy which neighbored Cannon Airforce Base in Clovis, New Mexico. However, results were not communicated to nearby residents, and it was August 2018 before water at  the dairy was finally tested. One of Schaap’s wells tested at 12,000 parts per trillion which is 171 times the EPA health advisory level of 70ppt. The groundwater had potentially been contaminated the entire time that Schaap owned the ground. Schaap’s entire herd drank this contaminated water. He was forced to dump around 15,000 gallons of milk per day. It took four years for a resolution, but ultimately, he was forced to euthanize his entire herd.

Forever Chemicals

PFAS, PBB, and other forever chemicals don’t break down easily and are stored in adipose tissue, which means they get passed along in meat and milk.  Here are a few things you should know about forever chemicals.

  • Almost half of all tap water in the United States contains forever chemicals.
  • PFAS are found in non-stick cookware, microwave popcorn bags, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant carpets, fire retardants, cosmetics, shampoos, toys, and even dental floss.
  • Today there are nearly 15,000 PFAS substances.
  • PFAS have a special bond of carbon and fluorine atoms that makes them incredibly strong and resistant to heat, water, oil, and dirt.
  • PFAS do not fully degrade, leading to them accumulating in the environment and in the body.
  • Exposure to PFAS can cause damage to the liver and immune system, has been linked to low birth weight, birth defects, developmental delays, and increased risk of prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers.
  • Recent research found a link between PFAS exposure and delay in the onset of puberty, higher incidence of breast cancer, renal disease, and thyroid disease. A decrease in bone density in teenagers, and an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes in women.

It is not easy to get rid of forever chemicals.  Reverse-osmosis water filtration helps but does not remove all PFAS. The E.P.A. has set a new standard for PFAS levels, but how will we handle the situation in our livestock production systems?

Binding Forever Chemicals

Ultimately forever chemicals are everywhere and can cause may animal and human health problems. Solutions to reduce forever chemical exposure should include water testing and filtration, binding of the chemicals, support of the liver and kidneys, and modulation of immune function.

Intercept FEND binds forever chemicals, removes them from the animal’s body, and keeps them bound when they are excreted.

  • I.P.S. (Immune Positioning System) a blend of biological polysaccharides and polypeptides.
  • Adsorbents (Yeast Cell Wall, and Montmorillonite Clay).
  • Yucca schidigera modifies rumen fermentation.
  • Dietary nucleotides increase the maturity and growth of normal enterocytes.
  • Live Yeast
  • Yeast Culture
  • Prebiotics
  • Probiotics
  • Postbiotics

For more information on managing forever chemical challenges on your farm, please reach out to us at service@microbasics.com

Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.

Sources:

Michigan’s PBB contamination: 50 years later | News | University of Michigan School of Public Health | Environmental Health | Food System | Environmental Health Effects | Michigan PBB Contamination | History | (umich.edu)

The PBB Disaster at 50 Digital Archive (arcgis.com)

The History of PBBs in Michigan

Art Schaap’s Dairy Dilemma – New Mexico In Focus (newmexicopbs.org)

Air Force Pollution Forces New Mexico Dairy to Euthanize 3,665 Cows | Dairy Herd

Six Things to Know About ‘Forever Chemicals’ – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

 

Introduction to Biotoxins

Introduction to Biotoxins

Posted on by Thomas

What are biotoxins?

Biotoxins are toxic substances that are a threat to human and animal health.

Several key biotoxins are relevant in the livestock industry:

Endotoxins: Also called lipopolysaccharides (LPS), are components of the outer membrane of all gram-negative bacteria. LPS are released upon death of the pathogenic bacteria and can induce an inflammatory response.

Endotoxins are always present in the rumen to some extent. At higher levels they can compromise the integrity of the gut wall and impact animal health. The damage done to the gut wall may increase the uptake of mycotoxins.

Mycotoxins: Toxic compounds produced by fungi. Mycotoxins wreak havoc on the gut microbiome, suppress immune function, reduce feed intake, reduce nutrient absorption, and impair metabolism. Both endotoxin and mycotoxins can trigger inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects, and both toxin types cause liver damage.

Aflatoxins: Toxins produced by certain fungi found on agricultural crops. Aflatoxin-producing fungi can contaminate crops in the field, at harvest, or during storage.  People become exposed to aflatoxins when they eat a contaminated plant product or eat and dairy products from animals that ate the contaminated feed. Exposure to aflatoxins is associated with an increased risk to liver cancer.

Forever Chemicals: PFAS found in products ranging from waterproof clothing to Teflon cookware are called ‘forever chemicals” because they never break down.  It is commonly known that PFAS can have serious negative effects on health, including immune system deficiencies, low birth weights, and cancer.

Because these chemicals do not break down, they are polluting many water systems across the world. Animals that consume water or feed with high levels of PFAS in them can pass them along in their milk or meat. Binding up these compounds to prevent them from contaminating milk and meat may become fundamental in preserving human health and well being in the near future.

How can we manage biotoxins in our food production systems?

As producers our dilemma lies in choosing the best strategy and product(s) to combat mycotoxins.

Intercept FEND has been formulated to address each of the following areas.

  1. Reduced feed intakes = Feed Yeast
  2. Reduced nutrient absorption and impaired metabolism = Enzymes and Probiotics
  3. Altered endocrine and exocrine systems = Immune Support
  4. Suppressed immune function and inflammation = Immune Modulators
  5. Altered liver function = Phytogenics
  6. Removal of the biotoxin = Toxin Adsorbent

For more information on how you can combat biotoxins in your food production systems please visit our website or reach out to us at service@microbasics.com.

Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.

Benefits of Feed Supplementation of Yucca Schidigera

Benefits of Feed Supplementation of Yucca Schidigera

Posted on by Thomas

Yucca schidigera (YS) is a species of plants that grows in abundance in the southwestern United Staes and northern Mexico. YS contains a variety of phytochemicals such as saponins, polyphenols, and resveratrol. These phytochemicals have antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties.

Saponins

Saponins have surfactant properties and when ingested can affect intestinal permeability, facilitate nutrient absorption, and benefit beneficial intestinal microbes.

Polyphenols

Polyphenols act as antioxidants. This means they can neutralize harmful free radicals that might otherwise damage cells and increase the risk of cancer or other disease.

Resveratrol

Resveratrol has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-cancer properties.

Supplementation of Yucca Schidigera to Livestock

Benefits have been found to include:

  • Improved feed conversion and growth of chicks.
  • Enhanced vaccine efficacy.
  • Reduced antimicrobial treatments for BRD infected cattle.
  • Positive effects on growth and feed efficiency, as well as health in nursery pigs, sheep, and laying quails.
  • YS saponins inhibit rumen ciliate protozoa. Elimination of ciliate protozoa increases microbial protein supply by up to 30% reduces methane production up to 11%.
  • Increased serum IgA and IgG concentrations in pre-weaned calves.
  • Improved antioxidant capacity of pre-weaned calves.
  • Decreased diarrhea in pre-weaned calves.
  • Increased feed utilization in calves.

At MicroBasics we have harnessed the power of YS in many of our livestock formulas. Visit our on-line store to learn more!

Sources:

1. Effects of quillaja and yucca saponins on communities and select populations of rumen bacteria and archaea, and fermentation in vitro.

  1. Appl. Microbiol.2012; 113(22925153): 1329-1340 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2012.05440.x

2. Dietary manipulation to reduce aerial ammonia concentrations in nursery pig facilities. J. Anim. Sci. 2001; 79 (11811465): 3096-3103

https://doi.org/10.2527/2001.79123096x

3. Evaluation of Yucca schidigera extract as feed additive on performance of broiler chicks in winter season.

Vet. World. 2015; 8 (27047134): 556-560

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2015.556-560

4. The Role of Ciliate Protozoa in the Rumen – PubMed (nih.gov)

5. Supplementation with Yucca schidigera improves antioxidant capability and immune function and decreases fecal score of dairy calves before weaning – Journal of Dairy Science

6. Enhanced immune responses of chickens to oral vaccination against infectious bursal disease by ginseng stem-leaf saponins. Poult. Sci. 93:2473–2481. doi: 10.3382/ps.2014-04056

Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.

The Biome Cycle with Brett Reed

The Biome Cycle with Brett Reed

Posted on by Thomas

The soil food web is made up of fungi and bacteria, which are preyed upon by protozoa, nematodes, micro-arthropods, and other larger organisms we also group in our microbiome. There are numerous amounts of species for each of these creatures. The population and ratio of microbes within the soil will vary greatly from ratio to ratio in the soil from one field even to another. This all relates back to the health status and plant environment, because each of these organisms is, in large part, controlled by the plants being grown, and practices being used.

This week Brett Reed from AgriSource, Inc explains how soil health is impacted by how we manage our cattle and how that is all integrated into what is called the Biome Cycle.

 

What is The Biome Cycle?

A biome by definition is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. While a biome can cover large areas such as the high desert in which southern Idaho resides, a microbiome is a mix of organisms that coexist in a defined space on a much smaller scale.

Nutrient and energy flow also play a critical role in ecosystems that make up biomes. Biomes describe life on a much larger scale than either habitats or ecosystems.

What brings this all together is that biomes can be differentiated by the organisms residing there and by the climate, as well as the fact that the organisms within a biome share adaptations for that particular environment. The actual cycles that are present in our biomes consist of water, carbon, nitrogen just to name a few. All these make up our biome cycle.

 

How Does Agriculture Impact The Biome Cycle?

One of the key features of sustainable agriculture is the focus on the health of soils. Healthy soils create a healthy biome and its proponent cycles. Some of the practices such as crop rotation, cover cropping, no-tillage, as well as strip tilling, and the application of compost, improve soil fertility naturally and can even speed up the process of new topsoil formation. I would also add that using livestock in these practices helps to propel the health and speed at which soil health can be achieved. These practices help to secure stable yields, increase biodiversity, and help to prevent the exhaustion of these soils, and biodiversity of favorable soil flora and fauna.

Soils rich in organic matter and flourishing with life also contain greater concentrations of the natural enemies of pests, thus supporting the growth of more resilient crops.

According to Dr. Elaine Ingham, one teaspoon of healthy soil can contain up to 1 billion helpful bacteria, while concentration in intensively farmed soils might drop to one hundred.

As with any other plants, growing crops – especially perennial polyculture systems used in permaculture farming and agroforestry – add oxygen to the atmosphere, as plants photosynthesize and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The richer the plant cover is, the more it uses carbon dioxide to support its life functions.

 

What is the most important thing that farmers can do to benefit the Biome Cycle?

Think outside the box and go ahead and try to change some things up. Change promotes growth and growth can promote new solutions on your farm or ranch. I say that because in our modern farming practices in the west we are still predominantly tilling and by tilling we destroy the carbon and microbiomes that we have in our soil. With minimum tillage and or no till we can conserve and build our carbon and micro reserves and populations.

Carbon is also sequestered by soils, which have a natural carbon carrying capacity that increases when soils are managed with minimum disturbance.

In rotational grazing systems, animals help to store carbon in the soil. Through grazing for a limited time period in one area, biodiversity of native plants increases because grasses have time to regrow equally without one species taking over and becoming invasive. Richer and better-quality pasture means more organic material entering soils, which makes soils healthy and increases their capacity to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, this allows more of the soil microbiome to flourish and do what biology has intended it to do.

 

How are microbes involved in the biome cycle and what can we do to cultivate their growth?

Plant microbiomes include microbes, these microbes can be shaped by factors related to the plant itself, much like genotype, organ, species and health status, as well as other factors related to the plant’s environment, such as management, land use and climate. The health status of a plant has been reported in some studies to be reflected by or linked to its microbiome.

In all honesty the best way to sustain and cultivate our microbiology or the microbes is to cultivate our carbon in the soil. The cultivation of carbon is also a sequestration of it. One way is minimum tillage or no tillage, leaving roots in the soil and biomass in and above our soils as much as we can. All of those organisms, most of which are beneficial to the soil help to make up our biomes in the soil.

All of this is important because soil microorganisms hold nutrients in the soil environment, so that the nutrients can be available when your plants need them. Synthetic nutrients are engineered to be absorbed by roots in a soluble form. As the nutrients pass by, what isn’t absorbed is leached away by moving water. Whereas the organic nutrients sustained in the soil food web remain as part of an ever-evolving cycle. No waste. No leaching.

To have a healthy biome or crop we need to pay attention to the microbiomes within our own fields.

 

How can farmers find resources to help them improve the microbiome on their own farm or ranch?

There are programs and people in our area that are willing to help make some of these first steps in promoting growth in your operation. That is usually the hardest thing to do, especially after we have been doing something the same way for all or most of our lives. We must look at what new challenges we face each season we grow products for the world. If we keep doing the same things over and over and expect a different result, then we won’t get anywhere. Always ask questions about your own farm and its practices, it’s never a bad thing to question what and how you are doing things.

 

Brett is a great resource for forage and soil health. If you would like to contact him for assistance in improving your crops and soil please send him an email at breed@agrisourceinc.com.

 

Written by: Brett Reed and Mariah Gull

Not all Direct Fed Microbials are Created Equal

Not all Direct Fed Microbials are Created Equal

Posted on by Thomas

Cow Biology is COMPLEX. A SYMBIOTIC blend of additives is Paramount. The importance of the symbiotic relationship between the digestive system and the immune system cannot be overstated! As the largest immune organ in the body, the gut plays a major role in whole body immunity. Therefore, establishing a healthy gut translates to increased immunity. IMMUNOMETABOLISM is how the immune system regulates ALLOCATING NUTRIENTS between growth and survival.

 

Direct Fed Microbials

In an attempt to optimize rumen health direct fed microbials (DFM), including yeast, enzymes and probiotics, are often added to a diet to improve feed intake, feed efficiency, fiber fermentation, microbial protein synthesis, milk yield, rumen pH, and digestion.

 

Achieve Trial Results

A study was conducted in 2014 with the University of California, Davis, CA. Experts evaluated 2 different yeast-based products and their influence on both post rumen effects and performance of high producing Holstein cattle.

Yeast-based products used were a Competitor Product and Achieve from MicroBasics. Post rumen effects included superior plasma levels of both total essential amino acids (EAA) and total nonessential amino acids (NEAA) for those cattle consuming Achieve.

Performance effects resulted in increased milk flow from cattle consuming Achieve. This increase in milk production resulted in a greater amount of total fat and protein produced.

 

Why is this important?

Better feed ASSIMILATION- intake, digestion and absorption. Dry Matter Intake and Milk Production were highest in the Achieve groups however there was no difference in digestibility in any of the three treatments.

Due to the increased absorption efficiency and increased production exhibited by the cattle fed Achieve we can conclude that the digestive process was enhanced from the inclusion of Achieve in the diet.

Enhancement of the digestive process fuels growth of new intestinal cells and absorption of more nutrients that can be utilized by the animal. In addition to greater amounts of overall essential and non-essential amino acids cattle fed, Achieve had significantly higher levels of plasma threonine, tryptophan, glycine, and asparagine. These amino acids play important roles in the animal.

Threonine: an essential amino acid utilized by the gut to create a protective mucus barrier, used to make T-lymphocytes that work to fight off infections, regulates fat metabolism and prevents fatty liver.

Tryptophan: an essential amino acid that may play a role in the regulation of appetite and feed intake. Tryptophan is a precursor to Melatonin which may serve as a signal for the synchronization of the feeding and digestion processes.

Glycine: a non-essential amino acid that is one of the most common amino acids in the body, promotes muscle growth, hormone production and regulation, and is a building block of tissue in the digestive tract.

Asparagine: a non-essential amino acid that optimizes brain and nerve cell function.

 

Further research will tell us more about how post rumen effects are influenced by DFM’s. For now, our takeaway shall be that not all yeast-based products are created equal. Achieve combines three strains of live yeast with a highly concentrated yeast culture, a proprietary blend of probiotic cultures, several broad-spectrum digestive enzymes, yeast cell wall, yucca schidigera, and IPS (Immune Positioning System) a unique blend of biologically active polysaccharides and polypeptides. Consult with you nutritionist to determine if Achieve might be a good fit for your feeding program.

Interactive Brochure

Learn More

 

Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.

The Cost of an Activated Immune System

The Cost of an Activated Immune System

Posted on by Thomas

The Immune System is a complex network that protects the body from foreign invaders. Do not underestimate the importance of maintaining a strong and healthy immune system. Every second of everyday animals, birds and aquaculture wage a silent war against billions of viruses, bacteria, pathogens and parasites. This system is made up of different organs, cells, and proteins that all work together in the immune response. There are 2 main parts of the immune system. The innate immune system and the adaptive immune system.

Innate Immune System

The innate immune system is the first line of defense against foreign invaders. Physical barriers such as skin and mucous membranes lining the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and genitourinary tracts are all involved in innate immunity.

The innate immune system is non-specific and lacks memory. Response time can be immediate and involves sending white blood cells to the site of attack, which kicks off a cascade of events that leads to purging the body of the invader, removal and repair of any damaged tissue, and resolution of the inflammatory response.

Innate Immunity Balancing Act

 

Adaptive Immune System

The adaptive immune system kicks in when innate immunity is overwhelmed.  Memory of the adaptive immune system is strong and involves T cells and B cells. It’s important to remember that adaptive immunity takes time to develop. Vaccines work with adaptive immunity; the timing of vaccine administration is important so that this memory can be built in advance, before there is a challenge to the immune system.

 

Nutrient Partitioning

The immune system can be activated by many different things including pathogens, stress, parasites, molds, and mycotoxins. Activation of the immune system requires a lot of energy and partitions that energy away from growth and production of the animal. Immune activation costs producers a lot of money in lost marketable product, labor, treatment, and decreased feed efficiency.

Consequences of an Activated Immune System

 

Inflamatatory Responses

Inflammation is a normal immune response to disease challenge. This process includes movement of white blood cells to the area under attack, and clean up of any damaged tissue. Although this process is necessary, it is glucose dependent and can increase maintenance requirements up to 40%. This puts a great drain on energy supply that could otherwise be used for growth or production.

  • A cow requires 100g of glucose to produce 2.2lbs of milk
  • Inflammatory response consumes 2.2lbs of glucose every 12 hours
  • 22lbs of milk being lost over the same period, or 44lbs/day
  • 10% of cows are experiencing a base level of inflammation due to high cell counts

 

Impaired Immune Function.

A properly functioning immune system has the animal well on the road to recovery in no time, but when the cycle fails to be resolved it continues in a destructive loop into a state of chronic inflammation. Prevention of immune dysregulation is a process that involves homeostasis of the immune response and restoration of healthy microflora.

Placing an emphasis on supporting a healthy immune response will prevent chronic illness and allow producers to avoid the costs associated.

 

Check out our Interactive Immune System Page

 

Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.

Probiotics – What’s all the fuss?

Probiotics – What’s all the fuss?

Posted on by MicroBasics

Probiotics have become quite a hot topic as we discover more about each different strain and their role in the microbiome. There is still much to learn, but here is a little about what we know now.

ROLE OF PROBIOTICS

Stabilize rumen fermentation
Promote lactic acid production
Mitigate negative effects of stress on the gut
Increase dry matter intake
Increase feed efficiency
Stimulate immune response
Exclude harmful pathogens

PRODUCT COMPARISON

It seems like probiotic products are flooding the market, and it may be difficult to understand differences from one product to another. Here are some things to look for.

Colony Forming Units indicate the organism count provided in the supplement. The larger or more CFU’s a product has, the more probiotics it will provide and most likely will be more effective than a product with a lower count.
Different bacteria do different things and produce different metabolites.
Lactobacillus: promotes digestion and prevents invasion of pathogens.
Bacillus subtilis: produces large amounts of digestive enzymes and competitive exclusion of pathogenic bacteria.
Bifidobacterium: regulation of microbial homeostasis, produce vitamins, improve gut mucosal barrier.
Choose a formula that is research
Continually monitor the performance of any product.

WHEN TO USE A PROBIOTIC

Neonatal calves
Post weaning
Shipping
Heat Stress
Postpartum
Metabolic Disorders

Here at Calf Distinction, we have chosen to utilize different strains of probiotics in our supplements dependent upon the desired function!

Beta-glucans – What are they?

Beta-glucans – What are they?

Posted on by MicroBasics

Beta-glucans are a type of polysaccharide, meaning they are made of a chain of simple sugar molecules. They can be found in the cell walls of microorganisms such as bacteria, algae, lichens, seaweed, various plants, and yeast.

 

PREBIOTIC EFFECT

Beta-glucans are a prebiotic, meaning that they are indigestible to the animal, but are used as food for healthy bacteria living in the gut. A healthy gut is all about maintaining a balance between the “good” and “bad” bacteria living there.

The molecular structure of beta-glucans found in cereal grains is very different than the beta-glucans found in fungi. Those found in cereal grains tend to have a linear structure, where those found in fungi tend to have a branched structure.

 

ENHANCED IMMUNITY

Beta-glucans from medicinal mushrooms, such as reishi, lion’s mane, cordyceps, and turkey tail, have been found to support the immune system by stimulating immune cells. Each type of mushroom contains beta-glucans with different structures, and health benefits vary with each one.

Mushroom beta-glucans have a much more diverse structure compared to other sources. The sugar chains in mushroom beta-glucan contain other sugar molecules besides just glucose, and some are bound to a protein molecule. The chains containing different kinds of sugars are called heteroglucans and those containing proteins are called proteoglycans.

Scientific evidence supports the use of mushroom beta-glucans to regulate efficient immune responses, resulting in antimicrobial, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory reactions. The impact that mushroom beta-glucan and related polysaccharides could potentially have on animal agriculture cannot be overstated. Antibiotic resistance and consumer preferences are steering the industry towards natural alternatives and mushroom beta-glucans show a promising future in the rearing and feeding of our cattle.

 

OUR PRODUCTS

We utilize multiple beta-glucans in our calf products to successfully combat diarrhea and respiratory illnesses in a natural way. Click each product name below to find out more!

Surveillance

Sync Paste

Sync Powder

Tomahawk

 

Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.