Journal of Clinical Toxicology
Open Access

Abstract

Oral Application of Charcoal and Humic acids to Dairy Cows Influences Clostridium botulinum Blood Serum Antibody Level and Glyphosate Excretion in Urine

Henning Gerlach, Achim Gerlach, Wieland Schrödl, Bernd Schottdorf, Svent Haufe, Hauke Helm, Awad Shehata and Monika Krüger

The present study was initiated to investigate the influence of oral application of charcoal, sauerkraut juice and humic acids on chronic botulism in dairy cows. A total of 380 Schleswig Holstein cows suffering from chronic botulism were fed daily with 400 g/animal charcoal for 4 weeks (1-4 weeks of study), 200 g/animal charcoal (5-10 weeks of study), 120 g/animal humic acid (11-14s week of study), 200g charcoal and 500 ml Sauerkraut juice/animal (13-16 weeks of study), 200 g charcoal and 100 mL Aquahumin /animal (15-18s week of study), 100 g charcoal and 50 mL Aquahumin (19-22 weeks of study) followed by 4 weeks without any supplementation. Bacteriological and immunological parameters investigated included C. botulinum and botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) in faeces, C. botulinum ABE and CD antibodies, positive acute phase proteins (APPs) haptoglobin and LPS-binding protein (LBP) using serum ELISA, negative APP paraoxanase by its enzymatic activity and glyphosate in urine by ELISA. Neither BoNT nor C. botulinum was detected in feacal samples. From week six until four weeks before the end of the study, there was a significant reduction in antibody levels. All supplementation, except low doses of charcoal (200g /animal) alone, led to a significant reduction of C. botulinum ABE and CD antibody levels. There also was a significant reduction of glyphosate in urine following supplementation with a combination of 200g charcoal plus either 500 mL sauerkraut juice or humic acid. Haptoglobin, paraoxanase and LBP were significantly increased by the 24th week of the study. The positive APPs and C. botulinum antibodies were significant negative correlations. In conclusion, a charcoal-sauerkraut juice combination and humic acids could be used to control chronic botulism and glyphosate damage in cattle.