1
|
Aboshady HM, Gavriilidou A, Ghanem N, Radwan MA, Elnahas A, Agamy R, Fahim NH, Elsawy MH, Shaarawy AMBM, Abdel-Hafeez AM, Kantanen J, Ginja C, Makgahlela ML, Kugonza DR, Gonzalez-Prendes R, Crooijmans RPMA. Gut Microbiota Diversity of Local Egyptian Cattle Managed in Different Ecosystems. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2752. [PMID: 39335341 PMCID: PMC11428623 DOI: 10.3390/ani14182752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2024] [Revised: 09/16/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The animal gastrointestinal tract contains a complex microbiome whose composition ultimately reflects the co-evolution of microorganisms with their animal host and their host's environment. This study aimed to gain insights into the adaptation of the microbiota of local Egyptian cattle to three different ecosystems (Upper Egypt, Middle Egypt, and Lower Egypt) distributed across 11 governorates (with an average of 12 animals per governorate) using amplicon sequencing. We analyzed the microbiota from 136 fecal samples of local Egyptian cattle through a 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach to better understand the fecal microbial diversity of this breed which developed under different ecosystems. An alpha diversity analysis showed that the fecal microbiota of the Egyptian cattle was not significantly diverse across areas, seasons, sexes, or farm types. Meanwhile, microbiota data revealed significant differences in richness among age groups (p = 0.0018). The microbial community differed significantly in the distribution of its relative abundance rather than in richness across different ecosystems. The taxonomic analysis of the reads identified Firmicutes and Actinobacteriota as the dominant phyla, accounting for over 93% of the total bacterial community in Egyptian cattle. Middle Egypt exhibited a different microbial community composition compared to Upper and Lower Egypt, with a significantly higher abundance of Firmicutes and Euryarchaeota and a lower abundance of Actinobacteriota in this region than the other two ecosystems. Additionally, Middle Egypt had a significantly higher relative abundance of the Methanobacteriaceae family and the Methanobrevibacter genera than Lower and Upper Egypt. These results suggest a difference in the adaptation of the fecal microbial communities of Egyptian cattle raised in Middle Egypt. At the genus level, eleven genera were significantly different among the three ecosystems including Bacillus, DNF00809, Kandleria, Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group, Methanobrevibacter, Mogibacterium, Olsenella, Paeniclostridium, Romboutsia, Turicibacter, and UCG-005. These significant differences in microbiota composition may impact the animal's adaptation to varied environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hadeer M. Aboshady
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt (M.A.R.); (R.A.); (N.H.F.)
| | - Asimenia Gavriilidou
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Nasser Ghanem
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt (M.A.R.); (R.A.); (N.H.F.)
| | - Mohamed A. Radwan
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt (M.A.R.); (R.A.); (N.H.F.)
| | - Ahmed Elnahas
- Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Sohag University, Sohag 82524, Egypt;
| | - Rania Agamy
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt (M.A.R.); (R.A.); (N.H.F.)
| | - Nadia H. Fahim
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt (M.A.R.); (R.A.); (N.H.F.)
| | - Mohamed H. Elsawy
- Department of Cattle, Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki, Giza 12618, Egypt; (M.H.E.); (A.-M.B.M.S.); (A.M.A.-H.)
| | - Al-Moataz Bellah M. Shaarawy
- Department of Cattle, Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki, Giza 12618, Egypt; (M.H.E.); (A.-M.B.M.S.); (A.M.A.-H.)
| | - Ahmed M. Abdel-Hafeez
- Department of Cattle, Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki, Giza 12618, Egypt; (M.H.E.); (A.-M.B.M.S.); (A.M.A.-H.)
| | - Juha Kantanen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, 31600 Jokioinen, Finland;
| | - Catarina Ginja
- CIISA, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
- CIBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Associate Laboratory, BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, University of Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Mahlako L. Makgahlela
- Agricultural Research Council, Animal Production, Private Bag X2, Irene 0062, South Africa;
- Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa
| | - Donald R. Kugonza
- School of Agricultural Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda
| | - Rayner Gonzalez-Prendes
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands; (R.G.-P.); (R.P.M.A.C.)
| | - Richard P. M. A. Crooijmans
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands; (R.G.-P.); (R.P.M.A.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Doshi P, Bhalaiya C, Suthar V, Patidar V, Joshi C, Patel A, Raval I. Untargeted metabolomics of buffalo urine reveals hydracyrlic acid, 3-bromo-1-propanol and benzyl serine as potential estrus biomarkers. J Proteomics 2024; 296:105124. [PMID: 38364903 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2024.105124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Buffalo is a silent heat animal and doesn't show prominent signs of estrous like cattle so it becomes difficult for farmers to determine the receptivity of the animal based purely on the animal behaviour. India, having a huge population size, needs to produce more milk for the population. Successful artificial insemination greatly depends on the receptivity of the animal. Hence the present study aimed to identify the changes in the metabolome of the buffalo. GC-MS based mass spectrometric analysis was deployed for the determination of estrous by differential expression of metabolites. It was found that hydracrylic acid, 3-bromo-1-propanol and benzyl serine were significantly upregulated in the estrous phase of buffalo (p.value ≤0.05, FC ≥ 2). The pathway enrichment analysis also supported the same as pathways related to amino acid metabolism and fatty acid metabolism were up regulated along with the Warburg effect which is linked to the rapid cell proliferation which might help prepare animals to meet the energy requirement during the estrous. Further analysis of the metabolic biomarkers using ROC analysis also supported these three metabolites as probable biomarkers as they were identified with AUC values of 0.7 or greater. SIGNIFICANCE: The present study focuses on the untargeted metabolomics studies of buffalo urine with special reference to the estrous phase of reproductive cycle. The estrous signals are more prominent in cattle, where animals show clear estrous signals such as mounting and discharge along with vocal signals. Buffalo is a silent heat animal and it becomes difficult for farmers to detect the estrous based on the physical and behavioral signals. Hence the present study focuses on GC-MS based untargeted metabolomics to identify differentially expressed urine metabolites. In this study, hydracrylic acid, 3-bromo-1-propanol and benzyl serine were found to be significantly upregulated in the estrous phase of buffalo (p-value ≤0.05, FC ≥ 2). Further confirmation of the metabolic biomarkers was done using Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis which also supported these three metabolites as probable biomarkers as they had AUC values of 0.7 or greater. Hence, this study will be of prime importance for the people working in the area of animal metabolomics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Doshi
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), 6(th) Floor MS Building, Sector 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382010, India
| | - Chetana Bhalaiya
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), 6(th) Floor MS Building, Sector 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382010, India
| | - Vishal Suthar
- Kamdhenu University, Gandhinagar, Karmayogi Bhavan, Block-1, B1-Wing, 4th Floor, Sector-10-A, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382010, India
| | - Vikas Patidar
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), 6(th) Floor MS Building, Sector 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382010, India
| | - Chaitanya Joshi
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), 6(th) Floor MS Building, Sector 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382010, India.
| | - Amrutlal Patel
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), 6(th) Floor MS Building, Sector 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382010, India.
| | - Ishan Raval
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), 6(th) Floor MS Building, Sector 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382010, India.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Li B, Wu K, Duan G, Yin W, Lei M, Yan Y, Ren Y, Zhang C. Folic Acid and Taurine Alleviate the Impairment of Redox Status, Immunity, Rumen Microbial Composition and Fermentation of Lambs under Heat Stress. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:998. [PMID: 38612237 PMCID: PMC11010938 DOI: 10.3390/ani14070998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate if the supplementation of folic acid and taurine can relieve the adverse effects of different levels of heat stress (HS) on growth performance, physiological indices, antioxidative capacity, immunity, rumen fermentation and microbiota. A total of 24 Dorper × Hu crossbred lambs (27.51 ± 0.96 kg) were divided into four groups: control group (C, 25 °C), moderate HS group (MHS, 35 °C), severe HS group (SHS, 40 °C), and the treatment group, under severe HS (RHS, 40 °C, 4 and 40 mg/kg BW/d coated folic acid and taurine, respectively). Results showed that, compared with Group C, HS significantly decreased the ADG of lambs (p < 0.05), and the ADG in the RHS group was markedly higher than in the MHS and SHS group (p < 0.05). HS had significant detrimental effects on physiological indices, antioxidative indices and immune status on the 4th day (p < 0.05). The physiological indices, such as RR and ST, increased significantly (p < 0.05) with the HS level and were significantly decreased in the RHS group, compared to the SHS group (p < 0.05). HS induced the significant increase of MDA, TNF-α, and IL-β, and the decrease of T-AOC, SOD, GPx, IL-10, IL-13, IgA, IgG, and IgM (p < 0.05). However, there was a significant improvement in these indices after the supplementation of folic acid and taurine under HS. Moreover, there were a significant increase in Quinella and Succinivibrio, and an evident decrease of the genera Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group and Asteroleplasma under HS (p < 0.05). The LEfSe analysis showed that the genera Butyrivibrio, Eubacterium_ventriosum_group, and f_Bifidobacteriaceae were enriched in the MHS, SHS and RHS groups, respectively. Correlated analysis indicated that the genus Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group was positively associated with MDA, while it was negatively involved in IL-10, IgA, IgM, and SOD (p < 0.05); The genus Anaeroplasma was positively associated with the propionate and valerate, while the genus Succinivibrio was negatively involved in TNF-α (p < 0.05). In conclusion, folic acid and taurine may alleviate the adverse effects of HS on antioxidant capacity, immunomodulation, and rumen fermentation of lambs by inducing changes in the microbiome that improve animal growth performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Youshe Ren
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030031, China; (B.L.); (K.W.); (G.D.); (W.Y.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Chunxiang Zhang
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030031, China; (B.L.); (K.W.); (G.D.); (W.Y.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wu G, Qiu X, Jiao Z, Yang W, Pan H, Li H, Bian Z, Geng Q, Wu H, Jiang J, Chen Y, Cheng Y, Chen Q, Chen S, Man C, Du L, Li L, Wang F. Integrated Analysis of Transcriptome and Metabolome Profiles in the Longissimus Dorsi Muscle of Buffalo and Cattle. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:9723-9736. [PMID: 38132453 PMCID: PMC10741837 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45120607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Buffalo meat is gaining popularity for its nutritional properties, such as its low fat and cholesterol content. However, it is often unsatisfactory to consumers due to its dark color and low tenderness. There is currently limited research on the regulatory mechanisms of buffalo meat quality. Xinglong buffalo are raised in the tropical Hainan region and are undergoing genetic improvement from draught to meat production. For the first time, we evaluated the meat quality traits of Xinglong buffalo using the longissimus dorsi muscle and compared them to Hainan cattle. Furthermore, we utilized a multi-omics approach combining transcriptomics and metabolomics to explore the underlying molecular mechanism regulating meat quality traits. We found that the Xinglong buffalo had significantly higher meat color redness but lower amino acid content and higher shear force compared to Hainan cattle. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified, with them being significantly enriched in nicotinic acid and nicotinamide metabolic and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolic pathways. The correlation analysis revealed that those genes and metabolites (such as: GAMT, GCSH, PNP, L-aspartic acid, NADP+, and glutathione) are significantly associated with meat color, tenderness, and amino acid content, indicating their potential as candidate genes and biological indicators associated with meat quality. This study contributes to the breed genetic improvement and enhancement of buffalo meat quality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lianbin Li
- Hainan Key Lab of Tropical Animal Reproduction, Breeding and Epidemic Disease Research, Animal Genetic Engineering Key Lab of Haikou, School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (G.W.); (X.Q.); (Z.J.); (W.Y.); (H.P.); (Q.G.); (H.W.); (Y.C.); (S.C.); (L.D.)
| | - Fengyang Wang
- Hainan Key Lab of Tropical Animal Reproduction, Breeding and Epidemic Disease Research, Animal Genetic Engineering Key Lab of Haikou, School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (G.W.); (X.Q.); (Z.J.); (W.Y.); (H.P.); (Q.G.); (H.W.); (Y.C.); (S.C.); (L.D.)
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Habimana V, Nguluma AS, Nziku ZC, Ekine-Dzivenu CC, Morota G, Mrode R, Chenyambuga SW. Heat stress effects on milk yield traits and metabolites and mitigation strategies for dairy cattle breeds reared in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1121499. [PMID: 37483284 PMCID: PMC10361820 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1121499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Heat stress is an important problem for dairy industry in many parts of the world owing to its adverse effects on productivity and profitability. Heat stress in dairy cattle is caused by an increase in core body temperature, which affects the fat production in the mammary gland. It reduces milk yield, dry matter intake, and alters the milk composition, such as fat, protein, lactose, and solids-not-fats percentages among others. Understanding the biological mechanisms of climatic adaptation, identifying and exploring signatures of selection, genomic diversity and identification of candidate genes for heat tolerance within indicine and taurine dairy breeds is an important progression toward breeding better dairy cattle adapted to changing climatic conditions of the tropics. Identifying breeds that are heat tolerant and their use in genetic improvement programs is crucial for improving dairy cattle productivity and profitability in the tropics. Genetic improvement for heat tolerance requires availability of genetic parameters, but these genetic parameters are currently missing in many tropical countries. In this article, we reviewed the HS effects on dairy cattle with regard to (1) physiological parameters; (2) milk yield and composition traits; and (3) milk and blood metabolites for dairy cattle reared in tropical countries. In addition, mitigation strategies such as physical modification of environment, nutritional, and genetic development of heat tolerant dairy cattle to prevent the adverse effects of HS on dairy cattle are discussed. In tropical climates, a more and cost-effective strategy to overcome HS effects is to genetically select more adaptable and heat tolerant breeds, use of crossbred animals for milk production, i.e., crosses between indicine breeds such as Gir, white fulani, N'Dama, Sahiwal or Boran to taurine breeds such as Holstein-Friesian, Jersey or Brown Swiss. The results of this review will contribute to policy formulations with regard to strategies for mitigating the effects of HS on dairy cattle in tropical countries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Habimana
- Department of Animal, Aquaculture, and Range Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
- SACIDS Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases, SACIDS Foundation for One Health, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Athumani Shabani Nguluma
- Department of Animal, Aquaculture, and Range Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | | | | | - Gota Morota
- School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Raphael Mrode
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhao C, Shen B, Huang Y, Kong Y, Tan P, Zhou Y, Yang J, Xu C, Wang J. Effects of Chromium Propionate and Calcium Propionate on Lactation Performance and Rumen Microbiota in Postpartum Heat-Stressed Holstein Dairy Cows. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1625. [PMID: 37512797 PMCID: PMC10383091 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11071625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromium propionate (Cr-Pro) and calcium propionate (Ca-Pro) are widely applied in dairy production, especially in the alleviation of heat stress (HS). HS can reduce the abundance of rumen microbiota and the lactation performance of dairy cows. The present work mainly focused on evaluating the effects of Cr-Pro and Ca-Pro on the performance, ruminal bacterial community, and stress of postpartum HS dairy cows as well as identifying the differences in their mechanisms. Fifteen multiparous postpartum Holstein cows with equivalent weights (694 ± 28 kg) and milk yields (41.2 ± 1.21 kg/day) were randomly divided into three groups: control (CON), Cr-Pro (CRPR), and Ca-Pro (CAPR). The control cows received the basal total mixed ration (TMR) diet, while the CRPR group received TMR with 3.13 g/day of Cr-Pro, and the CAPR group received TMR with 200 g/day of Ca-Pro. The rumen microbial 16S rRNA was sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq platform along with the measurement of ruminal volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and milking performance. Cr-Pro and Ca-Pro improved lactation performance, increased the rumen VFA concentration, and altered the rumen microbiota of the HS dairy cows. Cr-Pro significantly improved the milk yield (p < 0.01). The richness and diversity of the microbial species significantly increased after feeding on Ca-Pro (p < 0.05). Gene function prediction revealed increased metabolic pathways and biological-synthesis-related function in the groups supplemented with Cr-Pro and Ca-Pro. Our results indicate that the application of Cr-Pro or Ca-Pro can provide relief for heat stress in dairy cows through different mechanisms, and a combination of both is recommended for optimal results in production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chenxu Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing 163000, China
| | - Bingyu Shen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Yan Huang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Yezi Kong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Panpan Tan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Yi Zhou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Jiaqi Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Chuang Xu
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing 163000, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jianguo Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Petrocchi Jasinski F, Evangelista C, Basiricò L, Bernabucci U. Responses of Dairy Buffalo to Heat Stress Conditions and Mitigation Strategies: A Review. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1260. [PMID: 37048516 PMCID: PMC10093017 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Increases in temperature and the greater incidence of extreme events are the consequences of the climate change that is taking place on planet Earth. High temperatures create severe discomfort to animal farms as they are unable to efficiently dissipate their body heat, and for this, they implement mechanisms to reduce the production of endogenous heat (reducing feed intake and production). In tropical and subtropical countries, where buffalo breeding is more widespread, there are strong negative consequences of heat stress (HS) on the production and quality of milk, reproduction, and health. The increase in ambient temperature is also affecting temperate countries in which buffalo farms are starting to highlight problems due to HS. To counteract HS, it is possible to improve buffalo thermotolerance by using a genetic approach, but even if it is essential, it is a long process. Two other mitigation approaches are nutritional strategies, such as the use of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and cooling strategies such as shade, fans, sprinklers, and pools. Among the cooling systems that have been evaluated, wallowing or a combination of fans and sprinklers, when wallowing is not available, are good strategies, even if wallowing was the best because it improved the production and reproduction performance and the level of general well-being of the animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Petrocchi Jasinski
- Department of Agriculture and Forests Sciences, University of Tuscia-Viterbo, via San Camillo De Lellis, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Chiara Evangelista
- Department for Innovation in Biological Agro-Food and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia-Viterbo, via San Camillo De Lellis, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Loredana Basiricò
- Department of Agriculture and Forests Sciences, University of Tuscia-Viterbo, via San Camillo De Lellis, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Umberto Bernabucci
- Department of Agriculture and Forests Sciences, University of Tuscia-Viterbo, via San Camillo De Lellis, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Habimana V, Ekine-Dzivenu CC, Nguluma AS, Nziku ZC, Morota G, Chenyambuga SW, Mrode R. Genes and models for estimating genetic parameters for heat tolerance in dairy cattle. Front Genet 2023; 14:1127175. [PMID: 36923799 PMCID: PMC10009153 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1127175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Dairy cattle are highly susceptible to heat stress. Heat stress causes a decline in milk yield, reduced dry matter intake, reduced fertility rates, and alteration of physiological traits (e.g., respiration rate, rectal temperature, heart rates, pulse rates, panting score, sweating rates, and drooling score) and other biomarkers (oxidative heat stress biomarkers and stress response genes). Considering the significant effect of global warming on dairy cattle farming, coupled with the aim to reduce income losses of dairy cattle farmers and improve production under hot environment, there is a need to develop heat tolerant dairy cattle that can grow, reproduce and produce milk reasonably under the changing global climate and increasing temperature. The identification of heat tolerant dairy cattle is an alternative strategy for breeding thermotolerant dairy cattle for changing climatic conditions. This review synthesizes information pertaining to quantitative genetic models that have been applied to estimate genetic parameters for heat tolerance and relationship between measures of heat tolerance and production and reproductive performance traits in dairy cattle. Moreover, the review identified the genes that have been shown to influence heat tolerance in dairy cattle and evaluated the possibility of using them in genomic selection programmes. Combining genomics information with environmental, physiological, and production parameters information is a crucial strategy to understand the mechanisms of heat tolerance while breeding heat tolerant dairy cattle adapted to future climatic conditions. Thus, selection for thermotolerant dairy cattle is feasible.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Habimana
- Department of Animal, Aquaculture and Range Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
- SACIDS Foundation for One Health, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Athumani Shabani Nguluma
- Department of Animal, Aquaculture and Range Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | | | - Gota Morota
- School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | | | - Raphael Mrode
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| |
Collapse
|