found identical patterns for serum concentrations of folates
and vitamin B12 although the vitamin B12 levels were lower
than previously reported for multiparous cows and comparable
to those of primiparous cows (Girard and Matte 1999).
Moreover, serum clearance of folic acid following an intravenous
bolus of folic acid was also slower in early lactation
than later in lactation (Girard et al. 2005). Despite the fact
that in both experiments, the dietary supply of cobalt was
above the current NRC requirement (2001) and recommendations
for beef cattle (Stangl et al. 2000), serum vitamin
B12 concentrations in cows that were not responsive to folic
acid supplements were under 200 pg mL–1 in early lactation.
By comparison, Stangl et al. (2000) observed plasma vitamin
B12 concentrations of approximately 108 pg mL–1 in
growing cattle fed a cobalt-deficient diet and 271 pg mL–1
in those fed a cobalt adequate-diet. Low serum concentrations
of vitamin B12 have frequently been observed in dairy
cows during early lactation (Elliot et al. 1965; Mykkänen
and Korpela 1981). Walker and Elliot (1972) observed the
opposite pattern, serum vitamin B12 increasing from 4 wk
before the expected time of calving until 12 wk of lactation
but decreasing after 16 wk of lactation. However, in this last
experiment, the method used was sensitive not only to the
biologically active forms of vitamin B12, but also to at least
two analogues of the vitamin.
A lack of vitamin B12 in early lactation could reduce utilization
of supplementary folic acid by the cow’s tissues,
given that folic acid becomes “trapped” in the serum under
its methylated form, 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate. In fact, a
lack of vitamin B12 inhibits methionine and S-adenosylmethionine
synthesis. All available one-carbon units are diverted
to the synthesis of 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate. This
reaction is irreversible, and demethylation through the
regeneration of methionine is blocked by the lack of vitamin
B12. Purine and DNA synthesis are therefore deprived of
one-carbon units, the proliferation of rapidly dividing cells
is slowed and protein incorporation of methionine is
reduced to permit more urgent methylation functions. The
accumulation of 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate leads to a lack of
folates at the cell level. This explains the identical symptoms
of anaemia seen in humans suffering from severe folic
acid or vitamin B12 deficiency (Bässler 1997). Vitamin B12
might be a limiting factor for the action of folic acid in early
lactation; this hypothesis is supported by production data
(Girard and Matte 1998; Girard et al. 2005).
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
METABOLISM OF FOLATES
AND VITAMIN B12
In early lactation, in the absence of a folic acid supplementation,
weekly (10 mg cyanocobalamin) or bi-weekly (150 mg
hydroxocobalamin) intramuscular injections of vitamin B12
had no effect on milk production or milk fat content or yield
(Elliot et al. 1979; Croom et al. 1981). By contrast, in a study
in which primiparous cows were fed daily supplements of
folic acid (4 mg kg–1 of body weight) and rumen-protected
methionine (to bring the estimated supply of methionine to
2.2% of metabolizable protein), weekly intramuscular injections
of vitamin B12 (10 mg cyanocobalamin) from weeks 4 to
18 of lactation tended to increase milk yield from 28.5 to 31.1
kg d–1 and increased energy-corrected milk as well as milk
yields of solids, fat and lactose. Supplementary vitamin B12
had no effect on dry matter intake or milk composition.
Furthermore, the finding that packed cell volume and blood
hemoglobin increased and serum methylmalonic acid
decreased in cows that received vitamin B12 injections supports
the hypothesis that vitamin B12 supply is suboptimal in
early lactation and that this limits the lactational performance
of dairy cows (Girard and Matte 2005).
In a factorial experiment, multiparous cows were fed supplementary
folic acid (2.6 g d–1) and/or vitamin B12 (500 mg
d–1) from 3 wk before expected calving until week 8 of lactation.
Dry matter intake was similar in all the treatments.
Supplemental folic acid increased significantly milk production
and milk fat and protein yields. Supplementary vitamin
B12 significantly increased milk concentrations of
protein (Graulet et al. unpublished). Plasma and liver concentrations
of folates and vitamin B12 were significantly
increased by the corresponding dietary supplements.
Nevertheless, the increases in plasma concentrations of
folates and vitamin B12 along with liver vitamin B12 levels
following ingestion of vitamin supplements were smaller in
cows fed the two vitamins simultaneously than in cows
receiving only one of the vitamins, even if similar amounts
were supplied. These observations support the hypothesis
that vitamin B12 utilization, even more so by extrahepatic
tissues, is increased in cows that are given the two vitamin
supplements simultaneously (Graulet et al. unpublished).
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN METABOLISM OF
BIOTIN, VITAMIN B12 AND FOLIC ACID
In d