Effects of Dietary Rumen-Protected Betaine Supplementation on Performance of Postpartum Dairy Cows and Immunity of Newborn Calves

A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Dietary Betaine on Milk Production, Growth Performance, and Carcass Traits of Ruminants

Betaine improves growth performance and health in monogastric animals under both thermoneutral and heat stress conditions, but results in ruminants have been more equivocal. This meta-analysis investigated the effects of betaine supplementation on productive performance, milk production and composition, and carcass traits of ruminants due to betaine supplementation. A comprehensive search for published studies investigating the effect of betaine was performed using Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Scopus databases. Effect size analysis, random effects models, I2 statistics, and meta-regression analysis were utilized to assess differences in production parameters. Dietary betaine supplementation increased milk yield (+1.0 kg/d (weighted mean differences presented in this abstract), p < 0.001), dry matter intake (+0.15 kg/d, p < 0.001), and milk lactose (+0.05%, p = 0.010) in dairy cows housed under thermoneutral conditions. In the few studies conducted on small ruminants, there was an increase in milk yield in response to dietary betaine (0.45 kg/d, p = 0.040). Under heat stress conditions or grazing pasture during summer, dietary betaine increased milk yield (+1.0 kg/d, p < 0.001) and dry matter intake (+0.21 kg/d, p = 0.020). Dietary betaine increased final liveweight (+2.33 kg, p = 0.050) and back fat thickness (+0.74 cm, p < 0.001) in beef cattle. Dietary betaine increased final liveweight (0.14 kg, p = 0.010), daily gain (+0.019 kg/d, p < 0.001), and carcass weight (+0.80 kg, p < 0.001) but not backfat in small ruminants. These meta-analyses showed that dietary betaine increases liveweight in small ruminants and beef cattle and increases feed intake and milk yield in dairy cattle.

Effect of betaine supplementation on production performance and serum antioxidant indices of Nili-Ravi buffaloes during summer

This study aimed to determine whether feeding betaine (Bet) to lactating Nili-Ravi buffaloes elevates their production performance during the hot and humid climate. Sixty lactating Nili-Ravi buffaloes were randomly divided into four groups: the control group received a standard concentrates basal diet without Bet, whereas in the treated group the same diet was supplemented with Bet at 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6% on dry matter basis for 9 weeks. All animals received ad libitum amount of chopped green maize fodder. Milk production and its fat % were recorded twice daily, whereas for the remaining components samples were collected weekly. Blood samples were collected at the end of the experiment. The results showed that feeding Bet to buffaloes increased (p<0.05) milk yield, production efficiency, and nutrient utilization at all three inclusion levels; however, milk composition remained unaffected. A numerical but non-significant (p>0.05) increase in performance was noticed with higher doses of Bet. Superoxide dismutase in all three treatments and glutathione peroxidase in Bet 0.2% inclusion level were higher (p<0.05) as compared to the control. However, malondialdehyde was not significantly affected. Inclusion of Bet in the concentrate ration of lactating buffalos at 0.2% level on the dry matter basis is recommended as it positively influenced the production and also improved their antioxidant status during summer.

Impact of natural betaine supplementation on rumen fermentation and productive performance of lactating Damascus goats

Two natural betaine sources; dehydrated condensed molasses fermentation solubles (Bet1) and Betafin®, a commercial anhydrous betaine extracted from sugar beet molasses and vinasses (Bet2); were used to investigate their impact on rumen fermentation parameters and lactation performance of lactating goats. Thirty-three lactating Damascus goats, with an average weight of 37 ± 0.7 kg and their age ranged from 22 to 30 months (2^nd and 3^rd lactation season), were divided into three groups, each group contained 11 animals. The control group (CON) was fed ration without betaine. While the other experimental groups were fed a control ration supplemented either with Bet1 or Bet2 to provide a 4 g betaine/kg diet. Results confirmed that betaine supplementation improved nutrient digestibility and nutritive value, and increased milk production and milk fat contents with both Bet1 and Bet2. Significant increases in concentration of ruminal acetate were observed in betaine-supplemented groups. Goats fed dietary betaine non-significantly recorded higher concentrations of short and medium-chain fatty acids (C4:0 to C12:0), and significant lower concentrations of C14:0 and C16:0 in milk. Also, both Bet1 and Bet2 non-significantly decreased the blood concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides. Therefore, it could be concluded that betaine can improve the lactation performance of lactating goats and produce healthy milk with beneficial characteristics.

Alleviation effects of niacin supplementation on beef cattle subjected to heat stress: A metagenomic insight

The objective of this study was to investigate the alleviation effects of niacin supplementation on beef cattle subjected to heat stress and to provide a theoretical basis for exploring the alleviation methods of heat stress environmental factors on the rumen of beef cattle. In the experiment, 36 Jinjiang bull cattle with a body weight of about 400 ± 20.0 kg were randomly divided into three treatments, each treatment contains four replicates, with three cattle in each replicate. Treatments included thermoneutral treatment (TN; temperature: 24–25°C, humidity: 45–55%), heat stress treatment, exposure to environmental temperature (HS; average THI: 82.74), and heat stress supplemented with niacin treatment (HN; high temperature + 800 mg/kg NA). Measured indicators were body temperature, respiratory rate, production performances, rumen fermentations, and microbial diversity. Results showed that adding niacin reduced the body temperature and respiratory rate (P &lt; 0.05) but had no significant effect on the production performances compared with heat-stressed beef cattle. HS treatment significantly increased body temperature and respiratory rate (P &lt; 0.01), while decreasing the content of acetic acid, butyric acid, and total volatile fatty acids (P &lt; 0.05) compared with the TN treatment. Supplement of niacin did not affect ruminal fermentation parameters (P &gt; 0.05) but had a decreased tendency on A/P (P &lt; 0.1). Microbial diversity results showed that, at the phylum level, the relative abundance of Desulfobacterota in the HS treatment was increased compared with TN and HN treatment (P &lt; 0.05). At the genus level, the relative abundance of Succiniclasticum and Family_XIII_AD3011 group in the HN treatment significantly proliferated compared with the HS treatment (P &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, niacin supplementation may alleviate heat stress by proliferating those bacteria belonging to the phylum Succiniclasticum, which may further contribute to the digestion of cellulose and the improvement of the metabolic function of Jinjiang cattle under heat-stress conditions.

Heat Stress: Effects on Rumen Microbes and Host Physiology, and Strategies to Alleviate the Negative Impacts on Lactating Dairy Cows

Heat stress (HS) in dairy cows causes considerable losses in the dairy industry worldwide due to reduced animal performance, increased cases of metabolic disorders, altered rumen microbiome, and other health problems. Cows subjected to HS showed decreased ruminal pH and acetate concentration and an increased concentration of ruminal lactate. Heat-stressed cows have an increased abundance of lactate-producing bacteria such as Streptococcus and unclassified Enterobacteriaceae, and soluble carbohydrate utilizers such as Ruminobacter, Treponema, and unclassified Bacteroidaceae. Cellulolytic bacteria, especially Fibrobacteres, increase during HS due to a high heat resistance. Actinobacteria and Acetobacter, both acetate-producing bacteria, decreased under HS conditions. Rumen fermentation functions, blood parameters, and metabolites are also affected by the physiological responses of the animal during HS. Isoleucine, methionine, myo-inositol, lactate, tryptophan, tyrosine, 1,5-anhydro-D-sorbitol, 3-phenylpropionic acid, urea, and valine decreased under these conditions. These responses affect feed consumption and production efficiency in milk yield, growth rate, and reproduction. At the cellular level, activation of heat shock transcription factor (HSF) (located throughout the nucleus and the cytoplasm) and increased expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) are the usual responses to cope with homeostasis. HSP70 is the most abundant HSP family responsible for the environmental stress response, while HSF1 is essential for increasing cell temperature. The expression of bovine lymphocyte antigen and histocompatibility complex class II (DRB3) is downregulated during HS, while HSP90 beta I and HSP70 1A are upregulated. HS increases the expression of the cytosolic arginine sensor for mTORC1 subunits 1 and 2, phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin and decreases the phosphorylation of Janus kinase-2 (a signal transducer and activator of transcription factor-5). These changes in physiology, metabolism, and microbiomes in heat-stressed dairy cows require urgent alleviation strategies. Establishing control measures to combat HS can be facilitated by elucidating mechanisms, including proper HS assessment, access to cooling facilities, special feeding and care, efficient water systems, and supplementation with vitamins, minerals, plant extracts, and probiotics. Understanding the relationship between HS and the rumen microbiome could contribute to the development of manipulation strategies to alleviate the influence of HS. This review comprehensively elaborates on the impact of HS in dairy cows and introduces different alleviation strategies to minimize HS.

Genetic parameters for rectal temperature, respiration rate, and drooling score in Holstein cattle and their relationships with various fertility, production, body conformation, and health traits

Genetic selection for improved climatic resilience is paramount to increase the long-term sustainability of high-producing dairy cattle, especially in face of climate change. Various physiological indicators, such as rectal temperature (RT), respiration rate score (RR), and drooling score (DS), can be used to genetically identify animals with more effective coping mechanisms in response to heat stress events. In this study, we investigated genetic parameters for RT, RR (score from 1-3), and DS (score from 1-3). Furthermore, we assessed the genetic relationship among these indicators and other economically important traits for the dairy cattle industry. After data editing, 59,265 (RT), 30,290 (RR), and 30,421 (DS) records from 13,592 lactating Holstein cows were used for the analyses. Variance components were estimated based on a multiple-trait repeatability animal model. The heritability ± standard error estimate for RT, RR, and DS was 0.06 ± 0.01, 0.04 ± 0.01, and 0.02 ± 0.01, respectively, whereas their repeatability was 0.19, 0.14, and 0.14, respectively. Moderate genetic correlations of RR with RT and DS (0.26 ± 0.11 and 0.25 ± 0.16) and nonsignificant correlation between RT and DS (-0.11 ± 0.14) were observed. Furthermore, the approximate genetic correlations between RT, RR, and DS with 12 production, 29 conformation, 5 fertility and reproduction, 5 health, and 9 longevity-indicator traits were assessed. In general, the approximate genetic correlations calculated were low to moderate. In summary, 3 physiological indicators of heat stress response were measured in a large number of animals and shown to be lowly heritable. There is a value in developing a selection index including all the 3 indicators to improve heat tolerance in dairy cattle. All the unfavorable genetic relationships observed between heat tolerance and other economically important traits can be accounted for in a selection index to enable improved climatic resilience while also maintaining or increasing productivity in Holstein cattle.

Multifaceted role of one-carbon metabolism on immunometabolic control and growth during pregnancy, lactation and the neonatal period in dairy cattle

Dairy cattle undergo dramatic metabolic, endocrine, physiologic and immune changes during the peripartal period largely due to combined increases in energy requirements for fetal growth and development, milk production, and decreased dry matter intake. The negative nutrient balance that develops results in body fat mobilization, subsequently leading to triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation in the liver along with reductions in liver function, immune dysfunction and a state of inflammation and oxidative stress. Mobilization of muscle and gluconeogenesis are also enhanced, while intake of vitamins and minerals is decreased, contributing to metabolic and immune dysfunction and oxidative stress. Enhancing post-ruminal supply of methyl donors is one approach that may improve immunometabolism and production synergistically in peripartal cows. At the cellular level, methyl donors (e.g. methionine, choline, betaine and folic acid) interact through one-carbon metabolism to modulate metabolism, immune responses and epigenetic events. By modulating those pathways, methyl donors may help increase the export of very low-density lipoproteins to reduce liver TAG and contribute to antioxidant synthesis to alleviate oxidative stress. Thus, altering one-carbon metabolism through methyl donor supplementation is a viable option to modulate immunometabolism during the peripartal period. This review explores available data on the regulation of one-carbon metabolism pathways in dairy cows in the context of enzyme regulation, cellular sensors and signaling mechanisms that might respond to increased dietary supply of specific methyl donors. Effects of methyl donors beyond the one-carbon metabolism pathways, including production performance, immune cell function, mechanistic target or rapamycin signaling, and fatty acid oxidation will also be highlighted. Furthermore, the effects of body condition and feeding system (total mixed ration vs. pasture) on one-carbon metabolism pathways are explored. Potential effects of methyl donor supply during the pepartum period on dairy calf growth and development also are discussed. Lastly, practical nutritional recommendations related to methyl donor metabolism during the peripartal period are presented. Nutritional management during the peripartal period is a fertile area of research, hence, underscoring the importance for developing a systems understanding of the potential immunometabolic role that dietary methyl donors play during this period to promote health and performance.

Effects of Dietary Rumen-Protected Betaine on Lactation Performance and Serum Metabolites of Mid-lactation Holstein Dairy Cows

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary rumen-protected betaine (RPB) supplementation, as partial replacement for methionine, on the lactation performance of mid-lactation dairy cows. A total of 36 Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to three groups [control, 20 g/day RPB, or 15 g/day rumen-protected methionine (RPM)]. The experiment was conducted over 9 weeks, with the first week for adaptation. Blood metabolites were analyzed with metabolomics in the control and RPB groups. The results revealed that the milk yield and milk protein content were higher in cows fed RPB and RPM compared to those in the control group. Concentrations of nine metabolites differed between cows in the RPB and control groups. These metabolites were mainly concentrated in six pathways, such as arginine synthesis and proline degradation and cyanoamino acid synthesis. This study revealed that RPB can spare methionine and improve lactation performance of dairy cows fed with diets moderately deficient in methionine.

Maternal Supplementation with Dietary Betaine during Gestation to Improve Twin Lamb Survival

Simple Summary

High incidences of twin lamb mortality constrain the reproductive efficiency and productivity of Merino sheep flocks. This study determined whether supplementing the diets of pregnant, twin-bearing ewes with 2 or 4 g/day of betaine would improve lamb viability and survival to weaning. Feeding ewes 2 g/day of betaine for the duration of pregnancy decreased lamb survival but increased lamb body weight at weaning. Whereas, lamb vigour and early post-natal survival were improved following ewe supplementation with 4 g/day of betaine during the second half of pregnancy. Maternal supplementation with 4 g/day of betaine during the second half of pregnancy may, therefore, be a useful strategy to improve twin lamb survival.

Abstract

Betaine increases the synthesis of creatine, an energy-rich amino acid that increases adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and has neuroprotective properties which may improve post-natal lamb survival. This study determined whether maternal betaine supplementation during gestation would improve body weight, thermoregulation, time to stand and suck, colostrum intake and survival to weaning of twin lambs. Twin-bearing Merino ewes received dietary betaine at either 0 g/day (Control, CTL), 2 g/day from ram introduction to parturition (Early betaine, EB) or 4 g/day from Day 80 of gestation to parturition (Late betaine, LB). Ewes were housed individually during parturition and measures were collected at 4, 24 and 72 h and Day 7 post-partum, and at marking (53.2 ± 0.2 days of age) and weaning (99.3 ± 0.2 days of age). The EB treatment resulted in heavier lambs at weaning compared with CTL and LB lambs (p < 0.05). Time to stand and suck from birth was longer in EB lambs (p < 0.05), whereas, the interval from birth to first suck was shorter for LB lambs (p < 0.05). Lamb survival rate was the highest for LB lambs at 72 h and Day 7 (p < 0.05), and lowest for EB lambs on Day 7 (p < 0.05). These data indicated that betaine supplementation at 4 g/day during the second half of pregnancy improved twin lamb survival to Day 7 and shortened the interval from birth to first suck; whereas feeding ewes 2 g/day of betaine for the duration of pregnancy increased twin lamb body weight at weaning, but increased both the time to attain behavioural milestones and mortalities before Day 7.

Periparturient stocking density affects lying and ruminating behavior and one-week-calf performance of Holstein cows

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the effect of stocking density on the behavior, productivity, and metabolism of periparturient Holstein cows as well as calf performance.

Methods

A total of 48 periparturient cows were randomly assigned into three groups at 28 days (±3 days) before their expected calving date. The stocking densities of the groups, relative to the standard cubicle and feed bunk number, were i) 80% (13 cows), ii) 100% (16 cows), and iii) 120% (19 cows). Lying and rumination behavior was recorded using electronic data loggers and HR-Tags from d −21 (“d-” means days before calving) until the calving date, d 0. Lying time was assessed to determine the diurnal total hours spent lying per day. Rumination time was averaged in 2 hours interval periods over 24 hours during the experimental period.

Results

Cows in the 80% group spent more time lying and ruminating between d −21 and d −7 and tended to ruminate more between d −14 and d 0. Calcium levels tended to be higher for cows in the 80% group, no other observable differences were found in monitored blood parameters. Moreover, 3.5% fat corrected milk and energy corrected milk yields were higher in 80% group in the first month of lactation. No other observable differences were found in the yield and composition of colostrum and milk in the first 10 months of lactation. The growth and performance of calves in the first week of life was not affected by stocking density of the dams.

Conclusion

We concluded that lower stocking density may increase lying and ruminating behavior of prepartum Holstein cows. However, this did not translate into improved productivity and metabolism.

Glucose Metabolism and Dynamics of Facilitative Glucose Transporters (GLUTs) under the Influence of Heat Stress in Dairy Cattle

Heat stress is one of the main threats to dairy cow production; in order to resist heat stress, the animal exhibits a variety of physiological and hormonal responses driven by complex molecular mechanisms. Heat-stressed cows have high insulin activity, decreased non-esterified fatty acids, and increased glucose disposal. Glucose, as one of the important biochemical components of the energetic metabolism, is affected at multiple levels by the reciprocal changes in hormonal secretion and adipose metabolism under the influence of heat stress in dairy cattle. Therefore, alterations in glucose metabolism have negative consequences for the animal’s health, production, and reproduction under heat stress. Lactose is a major sugar of milk which is affected by the reshuffle of the whole-body energetic metabolism during heat stress, contributing towards milk production losses. Glucose homeostasis is maintained in the body by one of the glucose transporters’ family called facilitative glucose transporters (GLUTs encoded by SLC2A genes). Besides the glucose level, the GLUTs expression level is also significantly changed under the influence of heat stress. This review aims to describe the effect of heat stress on systemic glucose metabolism, facilitative glucose transporters, and its consequences on health and milk production.

Nutritional Physiology and Biochemistry of Dairy Cattle under the Influence of Heat Stress: Consequences and Opportunities

Simple Summary

Modern dairy cows have elevated internal heat loads caused by high milk production, and the effects of accumulating incremental heat are exacerbated when temperature and humidity increases in the surroundings. To shed this additional heat, cows initiate a variety of adaptive mechanisms including increased respiration rate, panting, sweating, reduced milk yield, vasodilatation, and decreased reproductive performance. Hormonal changes based on reciprocal alterations to the energetic metabolism are particularly accountable for reduced efficiency of the dairy production under the heat stress. As animals experience negative energy balance; glucose, which is also a precursor of milk lactose, becomes the preferential energy fuel. In the absence of proper mitigations, heat stress possesses potential risk of economic losses to dairy sector. Besides physical measures for the timely prediction of the actual heat stress coupled with its proper amelioration, nutritional mitigation strategies should target modulating energetic metabolism and rumen environment.

Abstract

Higher milk yield and prolificacy of the modern dairy cattle requires high metabolism activities to support them. It causes high heat production by the body, which coupled with increasing environmental temperatures results in heat stress (HS). Production, health, and welfare of modern cattle are severely jeopardized due to their low adaptability to hot conditions. Animal activates a variety of physiological, endocrine, and behavioral mechanisms to cope with HS. Traditionally, decreased feed intake is considered as the major factor towards negative energy balance (NEBAL) leading to a decline in milk production. However, reciprocal changes related to insulin; glucose metabolism; failure of adipose mobilization; and skeletal muscle metabolism have appeared to be the major culprits behind HS specific NEBAL. There exists high insulin activity and glucose become preferential energy fuel. Physiological biochemistry of the heat stressed cows is characterized by low-fat reserves derived NEFA (non-esterified fatty acids) response, despite high energy demands. Besides these, physiological and gut-associated changes and poor feeding practices can further compromise the welfare and production of the heat-stressed cows. Better understanding of HS specific nutritional physiology and metabolic biochemistry of the dairy cattle will primarily help to devise practical interventions in this context. Proper assessment of the HS in cattle and thereby applying relevant cooling measures at dairy seems to be the basic mitigation approach. Score of the nutritional strategies be applied in the eve of HS should target supporting physiological responses of abatement and fulfilling the deficiencies possessed, such as water and minerals. Second line of abatement constitutes proper feeding, which could augment metabolic activities and synergizes energy support. The third line of supplemental supports should be directed towards modulating the metabolic (propionates, thiazolidinediones, dietary buffers, probiotics, and fermentates) and antioxidant responses (vitamins). Comprehensive understanding of the energetic metabolism dynamics under the impact of incremental heat load and complete outlook of pros and cons of the dietary ameliorating substances together with the discovery of the newer relevant supplementations constitutes the future avenues in this context.

Symposium review: One-carbon metabolism and methyl donor nutrition in the dairy cow

The present review focuses on methyl donor metabolism and nutrition in the periparturient and lactating dairy cow. Methyl donors are involved in one-carbon metabolism, which includes the folate and Met cycles. These cycles work in unison to support lipid, nucleotide, and protein synthesis, as well as methylation reactions and the maintenance of redox status. A key feature of one-carbon metabolism is the multi-step conversion of tetrahydrofolate to 5-methyltetrahyrofolate. Homocysteine and 5-methyltetrahyrofolate are utilized by vitamin B₁₂-dependent Met synthase to couple the folate and Met cycles and generate Met. Methionine may also be remethylated from choline-derived betaine under the action of betaine hydroxymethyltransferase. Regardless, Met is converted within the Met cycle to S-adenosylmethionine, which is universally utilized in methyl-group transfer reactions including the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine. Homocysteine may also enter the transsulfuration pathway to generate glutathione or taurine for scavenging of reactive oxygen metabolites. In the transition cow, a high demand exists for compounds with a labile methyl group. Limited methyl group supply may contribute to inadequate hepatic phosphatidylcholine synthesis and hepatic triglyceride export, systemic oxidative stress, and compromised milk production. To minimize the perils associated with methyl donor deficiency, the peripartum cow relies on de novo methylneogenesis from tetrahydrofolate. In addition, dietary supplementation of rumen-protected folic acid, vitamin B₁₂, Met, choline, and betaine are potential nutritional approaches to target one-carbon pools and improve methyl donor balance in transition cows. Such strategies have merit considering research demonstrating their ability to improve milk production efficiency, milk protein synthesis, hepatic health, and immune response. This review aims to summarize the current understanding of folic acid, vitamin B₁₂, Met, choline, and betaine utilization in the dairy cow. Methyl donor co-supplementation, fatty acid feeding strategies that may optimize methyl donor supplementation efficacy, and potential epigenetic mechanisms are also considered.

HOXC10 promotes proliferation and attenuates lipid accumulation of sheep bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Homeodomain-containing gene C10 (HOXC10), known to regulate cell differentiation and proliferation, is a key negative regulator in the browning of white adipose tissue in mice. Sheep is an important farm animal that provides meat for human consumption, with fat content being an important meat quality determinant; however, there is no report about the role of HOXC10 in sheep adipocytes or adipogenesis. In this study, we investigated the effect of HOXC10 on proliferation and adipogenic differentiation in sheep bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (sBMSCs). In sBMSCs, HOXC10 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and upregulated the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-p70S6K, p-MEK, and p-ERK, whereas HOXC10 knockdown was associated with the opposite effects. These results suggested that HOXC10 may promote cell proliferation by activating the MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathways. In addition, we found that HOXC10 expression was negatively associated with lipid accumulation in adipogenic-differentiated sBMSCs. HOXC10 overexpression in sBMSCs significantly decreased lipid droplet accumulation and suppressed the expression of adipogenic-specific genes, including ACC, LPL, PPARG, and FABP4, while HOXC10 knockdown was associated with the opposite effects. Furthermore, our study suggested a new regulatory mechanism of the effect of HOXC10 on lipid accumulation and metabolism; HOXC10 may negatively regulate lipid accumulation in adipogenic-differentiated sBMSCs, at least in part, by suppressing LPL expression. Overall, our research not only contributes to a better understanding of the mechanism of lipid accumulation and metabolism in sheep, but also shed light on meat quality control in the future.