Biotec - Lactipro

"Lactipro is the world’s 1st and only commercially available FDA reviewed Megasphaera elsdenii lactic acid-utilizing micro-organism. Lactipro is the result of over two decades of research on isolating this highly effective, versatile and robust strain of Megasphaera elsdenii as a live natural supplement for ruminants."

For rapid and efficient growth, the challenge is to maximize energy intake as soon as possible after arriving in the feedlot. This involves feeding increased levels of high-concentrate diets rich in starch and other rapidly fermentable carbohydrates (RFCs). During adaptation from typical roughage diets fed before feedlot entry to starch-rich high-concentrate feedlot diets, rumen micro-organisms need time to adapt from predominantly fiber digestion to starch digestion.

Lactic Acid Production

As these micro-organisms adapt to high-concentrate diets, they convert the starch components into desirable Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs).

Even under careful diet management, the starch supply can exceed the micro-organisms capacity for VFA conversion. Therefore, other rumen micro-organisms such as streptococcus bovis and lactobacilli convert starch components to lactic acid which is 10-fold stronger than VFAs and responsible for severe drops in rumen pH.

Megasphaera elsdenii: The Lactic Acid-Utilizer

Megasphaera elsdenii is the most important lactic acid-utilizing micro-organism of cattle adapted to high-concentrate diets. It plays a critical role in preventing the buildup of lactic acid in the rumen during adaption to high-concentrate diets. However, Megasphaera elsdenii numbers are often low when cattle are fed roughage or low-concentrate diets and needs time to increase to sufficient levels to handle high-concentrate diets. Conventional methods of adaptation take this into account by managing multiple step-up diets over several weeks. This extra time and added management of step-up diets leads to inefficiencies. Read more about Megasphaera elsdenii

Lactipro’s Robust Strain of Megasphaera Elsdenii

Lactipro contains billions of viable cells of a patented Megasphaera elsdenii strain, isolated from the rumen of cattle well-adapted to high-starch diets. Drenching cattle with Lactipro supplies an immediate population of this potent lactic acid-utilizing Megasphaera elsdenii in the rumen, long before the animal’s own Megasphaera population has responded to the change from roughage to a high-concentrate diets.

Lactipro can be used in conjunction with a diet step-up program, aimed at:
  • Reducing the number of step-up diets.
  • Reducing the amount of roughage needed and handled.
  • Getting to the top ration faster for efficiency.

For high and efficient milk production, the challenge is to maximize energy intake by the cow as soon as possible after calving. This involves feeding increased levels of high-concentrate diets that are rich in starch and other rapidly fermentable carbohydrates. During the transition from typical dry or steam-up diets, fed before calving, to fresh-cow or lactation diets, the micro-organisms in the rumen have to change from predominantly fiber digestion to starch digestion.