Choline is a nutrient that plays a vital role in cell structure and acts as a component of phospholipids. In dairy cows, especially in early lactation, there is often a deficiency of essential amino acids such as methionine, which can affect the production of cellular components such as phosphatidylcholine. Choline deficiency can reduce the availability of phospholipids, which may lead to an imbalance in lipid metabolism, resulting in excessive fat accumulation in the liver and potential health problems. To investigate this, whether rumen-protected choline (RPC) supplementation would help reduce fatty liver was investigated. While some studies show that choline supplementation decreases prepartum liver triacylglycerols, results for postpartum cows have been inconsistent. In this study (Lima et al. (2024)), we investigated the effects of supplementing dairy cows with RPC before and after parturition on metabolism and lactation performance. The findings of this study showed that feeding cows with RPC improved milk production, reduced hyperketonemia (a condition associated with an increase in the concentration of ketone bodies in the blood) and minimized hepatic lipidosis (excessive accumulation of fat in the liver).
