What is Bovamine®?

Bovamine is a unique, patented, proven combination of a lactic-acid-producing bacterium (Lactobacillus acidophilus NP51) and a lactic-acid-utilizing bacterium (Propionibacterium freudenreichii NP24) that is in the feed category known as direct-fed microbials (DFM). This patented combination allows Bovamine® to work in both the rumen and the lower gastrointestinal tract. Feeding Bovamine results in stabilization of the gastrointestinal tract, producing a beneficial effect on rumen digestion and intestinal nutrient absorption necessary for maximum production efficiency (MPE).

How was Bovamine® discovered and developed?

How was Bovamine discovered and developed? Bovamine contains superior strains of L. acidophilus and P. freudenreichii that were identified through rigorous testing. NPC believes it is critical to start with beneficial bacteria that can thrive in cattle, then increase their number to get the desired effect.

NPC’s proprietary strain of bacterium L. acidophilus (NP51) was isolated from the intestine of a healthy dairy calf. It was screened at the University of Nebraska in a blind test with 650 other isolates in laboratory media, rumen fluid and manure. All isolates were tested for acid tolerance, bile tolerance, growth rate, attachment to epithelial tissue and pathogen inhibition. The NP51 strain was chosen based on both effectiveness and its ability to thrive in real-world conditions, where it must replicate and survive the passage into the small intestine. Bovamine also contains a superior strain of P. freudenreichii (NP24) that was chosen based on its ability to utilize lactate and to replicate in the rumen. In a study at Oklahoma State University, the NPC strain of P. freudenreichii used significantly more lactate at 24-hour and 48-hour measurements (increased about three-fold at both times) than other Propionibacterium strains. The NPC P. freudenreichii strain also had a significantly higher growth rate at the 24- and 48-hour intervals.

How does Bovamine® work in Cattle?

For years, scientists have recognized that maintaining the proper balance of gastrointestinal tract microflora is critical to maintaining human and animal health. Including Bovamine in rations stabilizes the microbial population in the rumen and lower digestive tract. The result is a healthier digestive tract that allows for improved animal health and performance.

What is Bovamine’s® role in the rumen?

Bacteria in the rumen convert energy from feed into energy that cattle can use. Research has shown that some bacterial species are much more efficient than others. Maintaining a population of the most efficient bacteria in the rumen allows for the most efficient conversion of feed into milk production. Improving the health of the rumen results in greater absorptive capacity, further enhancing the efficiency of nutrient use. In addition, maintaining an ideal population of bacteria in the rumen reduces the threat of acidosis, which can result from byproducts of the digestive process.

What is Bovamine’s® role in the lower digestive tract?

Scientists have learned that the addition of live microbes to the lower digestive tract improves intestinal health in a number of ways. Bovamine’s patented combination of live microbes:

These actions improve the health of the digestive tract, which leads to improved absorption of nutrients and decreased immune demands on the animal. A healthier intestine allows more nutrients to be partitioned to productive areas such as milk production, growth and/or reproductive performance. Bovamine has a patented combination of bacteria— L. acidophilus (NP51) and P. freudenreichii (NP24). These bacteria were selected based on their ability to thrive in the right conditions and produce superior results compared to other strains of the same bacterial species. NPC’s L. acidophilus bacteria have a primary role to compete with deleterious bacteria for preferred attachment sites in the intestine, limiting the ability of harmful bacteria to thrive in the animal. In the rumen, P. freudenreichii bacteria convert lactic acid to propionic acid, improving energy utilization and feed conversion.

Read about the application of Bovamine® in these fields:

Feedlot Performance & Pre-harvest Food Safety
Dairy Production and Health
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