Ganado Lechero

Antinutritional compounds in plants can be associated with an effect on both livestock and human health, through the consumption of derived products. The ptachyloside contained in Pteridium caudatum (L.) Maxon ferns is an example. The objective of this research was to assess the consumption of Pteridium by dairy cattle and quantify the content of ptachyloside in milk. Two dairy farms located in Coto Brus, Puntarenas, were evaluated, from January through July 2019. The breeds utilized in both farms consisted of a multiracial pattern of Holstein, Jersey and Simbrah crosses. Biomass yields in grazing paddocks were 1.4-2.3 ton DM/ha for Brachiaria humidicola and 1.7-1.9 ton DM/ha for Brachiaria brizantha. The soils were andisols with a pH of 6.3, acidity of 0.13 cmol (+)/L and 0.15 cmol (+)/L, CICE of 12.52 cmol (+)/L and 9.48 cmol (+)/L and with a coverage percentage of fern Pteridium caudatum (L) Maxon of 15-19% and 13-15%, in farms 1 and 2 respectively. In both farms, livestock showed a greater preference for consumption of the fern in early phenological stages, which also contained higher amounts of ptachyloside (253-1138 mg/Kg/DM), expressed as pterosin B. The content of ptachyloside found in milk (0.39-0.91 mg/L) in this study, is indirect evidence of consumption from livestock. The presence of Pteridium in pastures grazed by lactating cows must be controlled to avoid its potential transference to dairy products.