Early-life vitamin A supplementation modulates the skeletal muscle transcriptome and intramuscular fat deposition in feedlot-finished beef steers.

This study evaluated the effects of neonatal vitamin A supplementation on intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition and the molecular mechanisms regulating adipogenesis and lipogenesis in Montana × Nellore crossbred beef steers. We hypothesize that neonatal vitamin A supplementation induces long-term transcriptional changes associated with IMF development. Thirty-four calves were randomly assigned to two groups: a control receiving a placebo and a treatment group receiving a single intramuscular injection of 300,000 IU of vitamin A at birth.

Guanidinoacetic Acid and Its Impact on the Performance, Carcass and Meat Quality of Growing and Finishing Nellore Cattle.

This study evaluated the effects of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) supplementation during the growing and finishing phases on Nellore bulls' performance, carcass traits, and meat quality. Fifty-two Nellore bulls were randomly assigned to four treatments: control (CON, without GAA) and three GAA levels (3, 6, and 9 g/kg dry matter [DM] in the growing supplement; 0.3, 0.

Late Gestation Maternal Nutrition Has a Stronger Impact on Offspring Liver Transcriptome than Full-Gestation Supplementation in Beef Cattle.

Maternal nutrition's impact on liver transcriptome in beef cattle offspring is still underexplored. We investigated the long-term effects of maternal nutrition strategies on the liver transcriptome of pre-slaughter Nelore bulls. Pregnant cows were divided into three groups, each receiving different nutritional regimens: NP (control, only mineral supplementation), PP (late gestation protein-energy supplementation), and FP (protein-energy supplementation throughout pregnancy).

Impacts of prenatal nutrition on metabolic pathways in beef cattle: an integrative approach using metabolomics and metagenomics.

Background: This study assessed the long-term metabolic effects of prenatal nutrition in Nelore bulls through an integrated analysis of metabolome and microbiome data to elucidate the interconnected host-microbe metabolic pathways. To this end, a total of 126 cows were assigned to three supplementation strategies during pregnancy: NP (control)- only mineral supplementation; PP- protein-energy supplementation during the last trimester; and FP- protein-energy supplementation throughout pregnancy. At the end of the finishing phase, blood, fecal, and ruminal fluid samples were collected from 63 male offspring.

Lamb Performance and Meat Quality: The Impact of Chromium in High-Concentrate Diets and Its Molecular Effects on Skeletal Muscle During Finishing Phase.

Chromium is an essential trace mineral in insulin-mediated glucose metabolism, potentially affecting protein synthesis and improving performance and meat quality. This study aimed to assess the impact of chromium on performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and the gene expression in the skeletal muscle of lambs fed a high-concentrate diet. Sixteen just just-weaned Dorper × Santa Inês crossbred lambs, weighing 24.

Performance, muscle metabolites, and beef quality of Nellore cull cows subjected to different finishing feeding durations.

This study evaluated the performance, muscle metabolites, and beef quality of Nellore cull cows subjected to different finishing feeding durations. Twenty Nellore cows (initial body weight of 477.4 ± 49.

International Symposium on Ruminant Physiology: Paternal nutrient supply-Impacts on physiological and whole-animal outcomes in offspring.

Recent evidence suggests that environmental factors experienced by sires can be transmitted through the ejaculate (seminal plasma + sperm) into the female reproductive tract, influencing fertilization, embryo development, and postnatal offspring outcomes. This concept is termed paternal programming. In rodents, sire nutrition has been shown to directly alter offspring outcomes through sperm epigenetic signatures, DNA damage and oxidative stress, cytokine profiles, and the seminal microbiome.

Muscle tissue transcriptome of F1 Angus-Nellore bulls and steers feedlot finished: impacts on intramuscular fat deposition.

Background: Castration is a common practice in beef cattle production systems to manage breeding and enhance meat quality by promoting intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition, known as marbling. However, the molecular mechanisms that are influenced by castration in beef cattle are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and metabolic pathways that regulate IMF deposition in crossbred cattle by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) of skeletal muscle tissue.

Effects of monensin and a blend of magnesium oxide on performance, feeding behavior, and rumen morphometrics of Zebu beef cattle fed high-starch diets.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a blend of different sources of magnesium oxide associated or not with monensin, on productive, ruminal, and nutritional parameters of steers. Eighty-four Nellore steers with an initial body weight (BW) of 367.3 ± 37.

Rate of body weight gain during early gestation in F0 beef heifers has effects that extend multigenerationally to the F2 fetuses.

Our aim was to investigate the effects of maternal (F0) body weight (BW) gain during the first 84 d of gestation on body composition, ovarian reserve, and hormonal and metabolic parameters of breeding-age F1 heifers, as well as the BW and morphometry of F2 fetuses. The study also evaluated the effect of maternal BW gain (F0) on the mRNA relative abundance of the small intestine of both F1 heifers and F2 fetuses. Crossbred Angus heifers (F0; n = 100) were managed to gain 0.

Effects of rate of body weight gain during the first trimester of gestation on beef heifer and offspring performance, concentrations of hormones and metabolites, and response to vaccination.

Our study objectives were to evaluate the effects of divergent rates of body weight (BW) gain during early gestation in beef heifers on F0 performance, metabolic and endocrine status, colostrum immunoglobulins, and subsequent F1 calf characteristics, growth performance, concentrations of hormones and metabolites, and response to vaccination. Angus-based heifers (n = 100; BW = 369 ± 2.5 kg) were adapted to individual feeding for 14 d and bred using artificial insemination with female-sexed semen.

Protein supplementation during mid-gestation affects maternal voluntary feed intake, performance, digestibility, and uterine blood flow of beef cows.

This study aimed to assess the impact of protein supplementation and its interaction with calf sex (CS) on the performance, metabolism and physiology of pregnant beef cows. Fifty-two multiparous Zebu beef cows carrying female (n = 22) and male (n = 30) fetuses were used. Cows were individually housed from day 100 to 200 of gestation and randomly assigned to restricted (RES, n = 26) or supplemented (SUP, n = 26) groups.

Effects of Early Weaning on Performance and Carcass Quality of Nellore Young Bulls.

This study compared early weaning (EW; 150 days) with conventional weaning (CW; 240 days) in Nellore young bulls, evaluating performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. A total of 74 non-castrated male calves were divided into two weaning strategies: EW ( = 37) and CW ( = 37). During the growth phase, which lasted 454 ± 14 d for EW calves and 359 ± 16 d for CW calves, animals received a protein-energy supplement at a ratio of 5 g per kg of body weight while grazing Brachiaria brizantha cv.

Maternal protein supplementation during mid-gestation improves offspring performance and metabolism in beef cows.

This study examined the impact of maternal protein supplementation during mid-gestation on offspring, considering potential sex-related effects. Forty-three pregnant purebred Tabapuã beef cows (20 female and 23 male fetuses) were collectively managed in a pasture until 100 d of gestation. From 100 to 200 d of gestation, they were randomly assigned to the restricted group [(RES) - basal diet (75% corn silage + 25% sugar cane bagasse + mineral mixture); n = 24] or control group [(CON) - same basal diet + based-plant supplement [40% of crude protein, 3.

Effect of pregnancy and feeding level on voluntary intake, digestion, and microbial nitrogen synthesis in Zebu beef cows.

The objective of this research was to evaluate how pregnancy and feeding regimens affect the feed intake, digestibility, and efficiency of microbial nitrogen (N) synthesis in beef cows. Forty-four multiparous Nellore cows, comprising 32 gestating and 12 non-gestating cows, with an average weight of 451 ± 10 kg, were assigned to either a HIGH (ad libitum) or LOW (limited feeding at 1.2 times maintenance based on the NRC) feeding regimen during the gestational period.

Effect of Different Herbage Allowances from Mid to Late Gestation on Nellore Cow Performance and Female Offspring Growth until Weaning.

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.

Effects of early weaning on productive and reproductive performance of Nelore heifers.

We aimed to evaluate the effects of early weaning on the productive and reproductive characteristics of Nelore heifer progeny. Ninety-five calves from primiparous (PRI) and multiparous (MUL) dams were assigned to one of two weaning strategies; 1) early weaning at 150 d (149 ± 1.97) of age (EW; n = 16 from PRI and 31 from MUL); or 2) conventional weaning at 240 d (247 ± 2.

The Use of Additives to Prevent Urolithiasis in Lambs Fed Diets with a High Proportion of Concentrate.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different additives in preventing urolithiasis in lambs fed a diet rich in concentrate and their impact on performance and blood and urinary parameters. Thirty-two noncastrated male lambs, crossbred Dorper × Santa Inês, with initial body weights (BWs) of 23 ± 0.1 kg and ages of 50 ± 5 days, were kept in individual pens and fed a diet composed of 6% ssp.

Changes in the Lipid Metabolism of the Muscle in Bulls When Using Different Feeding Strategies during the Growing and Finishing Phases.

The objective was to evaluate the supplementation strategy's effect on beef cattle during the growing phase and two systems during the finishing phase. One hundred and twenty young bulls were randomly divided in a 2 × 2 factorial design to receive either mineral (ad libitum) or protein + energy (3 g/kg body weight (BW)/day) during the growing phase and pasture plus concentrate supplementation (20 g/kg BW/day) or feedlot (25:75% corn silage:concentrate) during the finishing phase. Feedlot-fed bulls had meat (-LT) with a higher content of lipids and saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and a greater upregulation of and than animals that fed on pasture ( < 0.

Early Weaning Possibly Increases the Activity of Lipogenic and Adipogenic Pathways in Intramuscular Adipose Tissue of Nellore Calves.

This study aimed to evaluate by wide-expression profile analysis how early weaning at 120 days can alter the skeletal muscle metabolism of calves supplemented with a concentrated diet until the growth phase. muscle samples were obtained by biopsy from two groups of calves, early weaned (EW; n = 8) and conventionally weaned (CW; n = 8) at two different times (120 days of age-T1 [EW] and 205 days of age-T2 [CW]). Next, differential gene expression analysis and functional enrichment of metabolic pathways and biological processes were performed.

Heat stress promotes adaptive physiological responses and alters mrna expression of ruminal epithelium markers in Bos taurus indicus cattle fed low- or high-energy diets.

This research aimed to evaluate the impact of temperature and energy status on the thermal indices, physiological parameters, and ruminal papilla mRNA expression levels of Zebu beef heifers (Bos taurus indicus). In this trial, we used six ruminal-cannulated Nellore females. The experimental design was a 6 × 6 Latin square, with six treatments and six periods.

Effect of Cow-Calf Supplementation on Gene Expression, Processes, and Pathways Related to Adipogenesis and Lipogenesis in Muscle of F1 Angus × Nellore Cattle at Weaning.

The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes, biological processes, and metabolic pathways related to adipogenesis and lipogenesis in calves receiving different diets during the cow-calf phase. Forty-eight uncastrated F1 Angus × Nellore males were randomly assigned to two treatments from thirty days of age to weaning: no creep feeding (G1) or creep feeding (G2). The creep feed offered contained ground corn (44.

Protein Supplementation during Mid-Gestation Alters the Amino Acid Patterns, Hepatic Metabolism, and Maternal Skeletal Muscle Turnover of Pregnant Zebu Beef Cows.

From 100 to 200 days of gestation, 52 cows carrying male ( = 30) or female ( = 22) fetuses were assigned to CON (basal diet-5.5% of CP, = 26) or SUP (basal diet + protein supplement [40% CP, 3.5 g/kg BW]-12% of CP, = 26) treatments.

Effects of Maternal Protein Supplementation at Mid-Gestation of Cows on Intake, Digestibility, and Feeding Behavior of the Offspring.

This study aimed to assess the effects of maternal protein supplementation and offspring sex (OS) on the intake parameters of the offspring. Forty-three Tabapuã cows were randomly allocated in the following treatments: protein supplementation (PS) during days 100-200 of gestation (RES, 5.5% total crude protein (CP), = 2, or CON, 10% total CP, = 19) and OS (females, = 20; males, = 23).