Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Nutrition, Growth and Physiology » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #389593
Research Project: Improve Nutrient Management and Efficiency of Beef Cattle and Swine

Location: Nutrition, Growth and Physiology

Title: Supplementation of one-carbon metabolites to beef heifers during early gestation increases fetal organ weight at day 63 of gestation

Author
item KING, LAYLA - North Dakota State University
item SYRING, JESSICA - North Dakota State University
item ENTZIE, YSSI - North Dakota State University
item HIRCHERT, MARA - North Dakota State University
item Crouse, Matthew
item CATON, JOEL - North Dakota State University
item DAHLEN, CARL - North Dakota State University
item WARD, ALISON - North Dakota State University

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/7/2021
Publication Date: 4/12/2022
Citation: King, L., Syring, J., Entzie, Y., Hirchert, M.R., Crouse, M.S., Caton, J., Dahlen, C.R., Ward, A.K. 2022. Supplementation of one-carbon metabolites to beef heifers during early gestation increases fetal organ weight at day 63 of gestation [abstract]. Journal of Animal Science. 100(Supplement 2):87. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac064.142.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac064.142

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We hypothesized a low maternal plane of nutrition will impair fetal growth in early gestation and that supplementation of one-carbon metabolites (OCM) will rescue the growth restriction. The experimental design was a 2 × 2 factorial with 2 levels of gain, each with or without supplementation of OCM. Angus-cross heifers were bred with female-sexed semen from a single sire. At breeding (d 0), beef heifers were individually fed using a Calan gate system and assigned to treatment (n = 8 per treatment): Control intake (targeted: 0.45 kg/d, actual: 0.60 kg/d ADG) without OCM (CON-OCM), CON with OCM (CON+OCM), Restricted intake (targeted/actual: -0.23 kg/d ADG) without OCM (RES-OCM), or RES with OCM (RES+OCM). The OCM supplement consisted of ruminal-protected choline (60 g/d) and methionine (10 g/d) in a fine-ground corn carrier fed daily, and weekly injections of folate (320 mg) and vitamin B12 (10 mg). The -OCM heifers received the corn carrier and saline injections. Heifers were slaughtered and fetal tissues collected on d 63. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedures of SAS. Fetal body weight tended (P = 0.07) to be lighter and stomach complex weight was lighter (P = 0.03) in RES than CON. When organ weights were normalized to total brain weight to assess allometric growth, OCM × gain interactions were observed in heart (P = 0.04), left longissimus dorsi (P = 0.04), and right hemisphere (P = 0.01) with CON+OCM greater than CON–OCM. The normalized left hemisphere trend to be greater in RES+OCM than RES-OCM (P = 0.08). These data suggest that OCM supplementation during early gestation increases allometric growth of fetal cardiac and skeletal muscle tissue. Day 63 is within the period of peak primary myogenesis in cattle, therefore differences in muscle growth during this time could have lasting implications in post-natal calf growth and performance.