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Impact of Nutrition on Reproduction and Fetal Programming of Beef...
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Impact of Nutrition on Reproduction and Fetal Programming of Beef Cattle

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Cattle".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2024 | Viewed by 2682

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marcelo Vedovatto

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Guest Editor
Dean Lee Research & Extension Center, Louisiana State University, AgCenter, Alexandria, LA 71302, USA
Interests: nutrition; reproduction; fetal programming; welfare
Dr. Matheus Ferreira

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Guest Editor
AgCenter, Louisiana State University, Hill Farm Research Station, Homer, LA 71040, USA
Interests: nutrition; physiology; fetal programming; welfare

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nutrition affects the overall performance, physiology, and reproduction of beef cattle. Furthermore, maternal nutrition has epigenetic effects that lead to short- and long-term impacts on the offspring. Beef cattle nutrition knowledge has improved considerably in recent years; however, most nutrition-focused research has evaluated growth and overall physiology, and fewer studies have evaluated the effects of nutrition on reproduction and fetal programming.

In this Special Issue, we welcome the submission of original research papers, reviews, or studies addressing the effects of different nutrients, feeds, or nutritional practices on reproduction (i.e., reproduction physiology, performance of bulls or females, measurement of reproductive organs, puberty achievement, etc.) or fetal programming (body or physiological measurements of pregnant females, and their effects on the performance, physiology, behavior, and omics of the offspring).

Dr. Marcelo Vedovatto
Dr. Matheus Ferreira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nutrients
  • pregnancy rate
  • epigenetics

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2009 KiB  
Article
Fetal Programming Influence on Microbiome Diversity and Ruminal and Cecal Epithelium in Beef Cattle
by Evandro Fernando Ferreira Dias, Felipe Eguti de Carvalho, Guilherme Henrique Gebim Polizel, Fernando Augusto Correia Queiroz Cançado, Édison Furlan, Arícia Christofaro Fernandes, Fernando José Schalch Júnior, Gianluca Elmi Chagas Santos, José Bento Sterman Ferraz and Miguel Henrique de Almeida Santana
Animals 2024, 14(6), 870; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14060870 - 12 Mar 2024
Viewed by 689
Abstract
We explored the influence of maternal nutritional strategies on the development of the rumen and cecum in offspring. Additionally, we investigated the potential repercussions of prenatal nutrition on the rumen and fecal microbiota composition, utilizing metagenomic 16S techniques, to understand the effects of [...] Read more.
We explored the influence of maternal nutritional strategies on the development of the rumen and cecum in offspring. Additionally, we investigated the potential repercussions of prenatal nutrition on the rumen and fecal microbiota composition, utilizing metagenomic 16S techniques, to understand the effects of fetal programming (FP) in Nellore cattle. A total of 63 bulls submitted to different prenatal nutrition strategies, namely, non-programming (NP), partial programming (PP), and complete programming (CP), were evaluated. The rumen epithelium was methodically evaluated based on the presence of rumenitis and structural irregularities. The assessment of cecum lesions was conducted post-evisceration, whereby all thoroughly cleaned ceca were methodically evaluated. Samples from 15 animals of rumen fluid at slaughter and feces during the finishing phase were collected, respectively. All DNA extraction were carried out using the Macherey Nagel NucleoSpin Tissue®, and 16S sequencing was conducted using the V4 primers on the MiSeq platform. Within the ruminal ecosystem, an estimated range of 90 to 130 distinct amplicon sequence variants was discerned, as distributed across 45,000 to 70,000 sequencing reads. Our metagenomic exploration unveils microbial communities that distinctly mirror gastrointestinal tract microenvironments and dietary influences. In sum, this comprehensive study advances our comprehension of FP, highlighting the interplay of maternal nutrition, gastrointestinal development, and microbial communities, contributing significantly to the fields of animal science. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Nutrition on Reproduction and Fetal Programming of Beef Cattle)
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15 pages, 2428 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Muscle Long Non-Coding RNA Profile during Rearing and Finishing Phase of Bulls Subjected to Different Prenatal Nutritional Strategies
by Roberta Cavalcante Cracco, Pamela Almeida Alexandre, Guilherme Henrique Gebim Polizel, Arícia Christofaro Fernandes and Miguel Henrique de Almeida Santana
Animals 2024, 14(4), 652; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14040652 - 18 Feb 2024
Viewed by 763
Abstract
Maternal nutrition has the ability of influence critical processes in fetal life, including muscle development. Also, in this period, epigenetic sensitivity to external stimuli is higher and produces long-lasting effects. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate epigenetic mechanisms, including the [...] Read more.
Maternal nutrition has the ability of influence critical processes in fetal life, including muscle development. Also, in this period, epigenetic sensitivity to external stimuli is higher and produces long-lasting effects. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate epigenetic mechanisms, including the identification and characterization of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) from animals that had undergone different strategies of prenatal supplementation. A group of Nellore cows (n = 126) were separated into three nutritional plans: NP (control)—Not Programmed, without protein–energy supplementation; PP—Partially Programmed, protein–energy supplementation in the final third of pregnancy; and CP—Complete Programming, protein–energy supplementation during the full period of gestation. A total of 63 male offspring were used in this study, of which 15 (5 per treatment) had Longissimus thoracis muscle at 15 (biopsy) and 22 months (slaughter). Biopsy samples were subjected to RNA extraction and sequencing. Differential expression (DE) of remodeling factors and chromatin-modifying enzyme genes were performed. For the identification and characterization of lncRNA, a series of size filters and protein coding potential tests were performed. The lncRNAs identified had their differential expression and regulatory potential tested. Regarding DE of epigenetic mechanisms, no differentially expressed gene was found (p > 0.1). Identification of potential lncRNA was successful, identifying 1823 transcripts at 15 months and 1533 at 22 months. Among these, four were considered differentially expressed between treatments at 15 months and 6 were differentially expressed at 22 months. Yet, when testing regulatory potential, 13 lncRNAs were considered key regulators in the PP group, and 17 in the CP group. PP group lncRNAs possibly regulate fat-cell differentiation, in utero embryonic development, and transforming growth factor beta receptor, whereas lncRNA in the CP group regulates in utero embryonic development, fat-cell differentiation and vasculogenesis. Maternal nutrition had no effect on differential expression of epigenetic mechanisms; however, it seems to impair lncRNA regulation of epigenetics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Nutrition on Reproduction and Fetal Programming of Beef Cattle)
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15 pages, 485 KiB  
Article
Effect of Different Herbage Allowances from Mid to Late Gestation on Nellore Cow Performance and Female Offspring Growth until Weaning
by Luciana Melo Sousa, William Luiz de Souza, Karla Alves Oliveira, Iorrano Andrade Cidrini, Philipe Moriel, Henrique César Rodrigues Nogueira, Igor Machado Ferreira, Germán Dario Ramirez-Zamudio, Ivanna Moraes de Oliveira, Laura Franco Prados, Flávio Dutra de Resende and Gustavo Rezende Siqueira
Animals 2024, 14(1), 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14010163 - 04 Jan 2024
Viewed by 898
Abstract
This study evaluated different herbage allowances from mid to late pregnancy on pre- and postpartum physiological responses, milk production, and the performance of Nellore cows and the preweaning growth of their female offspring. Sixty multiparous Nellore cows were blocked by their body weight [...] Read more.
This study evaluated different herbage allowances from mid to late pregnancy on pre- and postpartum physiological responses, milk production, and the performance of Nellore cows and the preweaning growth of their female offspring. Sixty multiparous Nellore cows were blocked by their body weight (BW; 425 ± 36 kg) and body condition score (BCS; 3.67 ± 0.23, scale 1–5) and randomly allocated to twelve pastures. Treatments consisted of two different herbage allowances (HA) during pregnancy: low HA (LHA; 2.80 kg DM/kg of BW) and high HA (HHA; 7.60 kg DM/kg of BW). Both treatment groups were fed 1 g/kg BW of a protein supplement. After calving, all cow–calf pairs were combined in a single group. The effects of maternal treatment × day of the study were detected for herbage mass and allowance, the stocking rate and forage crude protein, and for cow BW, BCS, and carcass measures (p < 0.01). Milk yield corrected to 4% fat, while the levels of fat total solids and cow plasma IGF-1 and urea were different (p ≤ 0.04) between treatments. HHA offspring was heavier (p ≤ 0.05) at 120 days and at weaning. A high herbage allowance can be implemented from mid-gestation until calving to increase cow prepartum performance, post-partum milk yield and composition, and positively modulate female offspring preweaning growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Nutrition on Reproduction and Fetal Programming of Beef Cattle)
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