Metabolites in Ruminant Health

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 5618

Special Issue Editor

MoE Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Institute of Dairy Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Interests: nutrition and health of dairy cows

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metabolites are products/intermediates of biological systems. The vital role of metabolites has been highlighted due to their multitude of biological functions, such as energy generation, signaling conduction, epigenetic alteration and cofactor activity. In ruminants, metabolite-based research has been widely conducted, and their value in homeostasis evaluation, disease diagnosis, nutritional regulation and animal food functionality has been partly revealed.

This Special Issue of Metabolites, “Metabolites in Ruminant Health”, will be dedicated to dealing with the role of metabolites concerned with homeostasis of various of ruminants, including cattle, sheep and goats. This Special Issue is intended to publish results focused on the diagnosis or regulatory roles of various metabolites in ruminant health and sustainable production, with different biological tools and novel analysis concepts.

Dr. Diming Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • ruminants
  • health
  • metabolites

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 283 KiB  
Article
Longitudinal Data to Assess Relationships among Plasma Folate, Vitamin B12, Non-esterified Fatty Acid, and β-Hydroxybutyrate Concentrations of Holstein Cows during the Transition Period
by Mélissa Duplessis, Younes Chorfi and Christiane L. Girard
Metabolites 2023, 13(4), 547; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13040547 - 11 Apr 2023
Viewed by 975
Abstract
It is well established that the plasma metabolite profile changes during metabolic dysfunction, such as elevated non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) release when body reserve mobilization is excessive in early lactation cows. Relationships between changes in plasma concentrations of metabolites caused by a metabolic [...] Read more.
It is well established that the plasma metabolite profile changes during metabolic dysfunction, such as elevated non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) release when body reserve mobilization is excessive in early lactation cows. Relationships between changes in plasma concentrations of metabolites caused by a metabolic impairment and the status of vitamins, such as folates and vitamin B12, have barely been studied in cattle. This study was undertaken to assess relationships between peripartum plasma concentrations of folates, vitamin B12, NEFA, and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Longitudinal data of 48 multiparous Holstein cows from 5 studies were taken from days −14 to 21 relative to calving. Blood samples were taken weekly before calving and either twice or thrice per week postpartum, and plasma was analyzed for folate, vitamin B12, NEFA, and BHB concentrations. Postpartum plasma NEFA and BHB concentrations were negatively related to plasma folate concentration at days −14 and −7 relative to parturition, whereas the opposite relationship was noted for the plasma vitamin B12:folate ratio. The plasma folate and NEFA areas under the curve from the whole studied period were negatively associated, and the opposite was observed with the association between the plasma vitamin B12:folate ratio and NEFA as well as the BHB areas under the curve. The results suggest that there is an increased use of folate for metabolic functions during elevated concentrations of plasma NEFA and BHB. Future research should focus on finding an optimal plasma vitamin B12:folate ratio to favor cow health during the challenging period of parturition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolites in Ruminant Health)
14 pages, 3292 KiB  
Article
Effect of Methionine Hydroxy Analog on Hu Sheep Digestibility, Rumen Fermentation, and Rumen Microbial Community In Vitro
by Shujie Li, Hanfang Zeng, Changjian Wang and Zhaoyu Han
Metabolites 2023, 13(2), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13020169 - 23 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1197
Abstract
This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of a methionine hydroxy analog (MHA) on in vitro gas production, rumen fermentation parameters, and rumen microbiota. Two different MHA, 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid isopropyl ester (HMBi) and the calcium salt of the hydroxy analog of [...] Read more.
This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of a methionine hydroxy analog (MHA) on in vitro gas production, rumen fermentation parameters, and rumen microbiota. Two different MHA, 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid isopropyl ester (HMBi) and the calcium salt of the hydroxy analog of methionine (MHA-Ca), were selected for in vitro experiments. The treatments were the Control group (0% of MHA), HMBi group (2%HMBi), and MHA-Ca group (2%MHA-Ca). Dry matter digestibility was measured after 12 h and 24 h of fermentation, and fermentation parameters and microbial composition were analyzed after 24 h. HMBi and MHA-Ca showed increased (p = 0.001) cumulative gas production in 3 h. The total volatile fatty acids, microbial protein (MCP) concentration, acetate, and acetate to propionate ratio in the HMBi and MHA-Ca groups were significantly higher than those in the Control group (p = 0.006, p = 0.002, p = 0.001, p = 0.004), and the NH3-N concentrations in the HMBi and MHA-Ca groups were significantly lower than those in the Control group (p = 0.004). The 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that the HMBi group had a higher (p = 0.039, p = 0.001, p = 0.027) relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Synergistetes and a lower relative abundance of Proteobacteria (p = 0.001) than the Control group. At the genus level, Prevotella abundance was higher (p = 0.001), while Ruminobacter abundance was lower (p = 0.001), in the HMBi and MHA-Ca groups than in the Control group. Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that the relative abundance of Prevotella_1, Streptococcus, and Desulfovibrio was positively correlated with dry matter digestibility, MCP, and fermentation parameters. MHA, thus, significantly increased gas production and altered the rumen fermentation parameters and microbiota composition of sheep. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolites in Ruminant Health)
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14 pages, 6935 KiB  
Article
Transcriptome Analysis Reveals That NEFA and β-Hydroxybutyrate Induce Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Response in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells
by Chengmin Li, Junpeng Huang, Xiangxing Chen, Yexiao Yan, Lian Li and Weiguo Zhao
Metabolites 2022, 12(11), 1060; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12111060 - 02 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1364
Abstract
Non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) are the metabolites of fat mobilization initiated by negative energy balance (NEB) during the perinatal period in dairy cows, which have an adverse effect on cell physiology of various bovine cell types. The aim of this [...] Read more.
Non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) are the metabolites of fat mobilization initiated by negative energy balance (NEB) during the perinatal period in dairy cows, which have an adverse effect on cell physiology of various bovine cell types. The aim of this study was to explore the biological roles of NEFA and BHBA on provoking oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). RNA sequencing analysis showed that there are 1343, 48, and 1725 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in BMECs treated with NEFA, BHBA and their combination. GO functional analysis revealed that the DEGs were significantly enriched in “response to oxidative stress” and “inflammatory response”. Further study demonstrated that NEFA and BHBA elevated the malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and reduced the total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity to cause oxidative stress. In addition, expression of inflammatory markers (NO, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) were increased after NEFA and BHBA stimulation. Mechanistically, our data showed that NEFA and BHBA activated the MAPK signaling pathway. Collectively, our results indicate that NEFA and BHBA induce oxidative stress and inflammatory response probably via the MAPK signaling pathway in BMECs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolites in Ruminant Health)
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15 pages, 1685 KiB  
Article
Physiological and Proteomic Responses of Dairy Buffalo to Heat Stress Induced by Different Altitudes
by Qin Lan, Zhiyong Cao, Xiujuan Yang and Zhaobing Gu
Metabolites 2022, 12(10), 909; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12100909 - 27 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1216
Abstract
Buffalo are mainly distributed in low-altitude (LA), medium-altitude (MA), and high-altitude (HA) regions characterised by different thermal and oxygen environments in Yunnan province, China. Due to black skin, sparse hair, and the low density of skin sweat glands, buffalo are more sensitive to [...] Read more.
Buffalo are mainly distributed in low-altitude (LA), medium-altitude (MA), and high-altitude (HA) regions characterised by different thermal and oxygen environments in Yunnan province, China. Due to black skin, sparse hair, and the low density of skin sweat glands, buffalo are more sensitive to heat stress. Here, we used data-independent acquisition (DIA) proteomics to reveal a broad spectrum of proteins that play roles in adaptation to the heat stress of buffalo raised at low altitude or hypoxia at high altitude. LA buffalo showed higher body temperatures than MA- and HA buffalo, and HA buffalo had higher levels of GSH and SOD and lower levels of ROS compared to LA and MA buffalo. In 33 samples, 8476 peptides corresponding to 666 high-confidence proteins were detected. The levels of circulating complement proteins in the immune pathways were lower in LA and MA buffalo than in HA buffalo. There were higher levels of alpha-1 acid glycoprotein in LA buffalo than in MA and HA buffalo. Relative to MA buffalo, levels of blood oxygen delivery proteins were higher in LA and HA buffalo. A higher abundance of apolipoproteins was detected in LA and MA buffalo than in HA buffalo. In summary, buffalo adopted similar adaptation strategies to oxidative stress induced by heat stress or hypoxia, including immunological enhancement, high efficiency of blood oxygen delivery, and the inhibition of lipid oxidation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolites in Ruminant Health)
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