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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Nutrition, Growth and Physiology » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #389596
Research Project: Improve Nutrient Management and Efficiency of Beef Cattle and Swine

Location: Nutrition, Growth and Physiology

Title: The effect of one-carbon metabolite supplementation in combination with adequate or restricted feed intake during early gestation on maternal hematology

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

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/7/2021
Publication Date: 4/12/2022
Citation: Entzie, Y., King, L., Syring, J., Hirchert, M.R., Caton, J., Dahlen, C.R., Ward, A.K., Crouse, M.S. 2022. The effect of one-carbon metabolite supplementation in combination with adequate or restricted feed intake during early gestation on maternal hematology [abstract]. Journal of Animal Science. 100(Supplement 2):130. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac064.223.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac064.223

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: During gestation, maternal blood volume increases to meet the needs of the growing fetus. Folate and vitamin B12 are hematopoietic vitamins required for DNA synthesis in developing red blood cells. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of one-carbon metabolites (OCM; folate, vitamin B12, choline, and methionine) supplementation in combination with adequate or restricted intake in early gestation on maternal hematology. Thirty-two cross-bred Angus heifers were estrous synchronized and artificially inseminated with female-sexed semen. At breeding (day 0), heifers were assigned to treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The first factor was control intake (CON; 0.60 kg/day average daily gain) versus restricted (RES; -0.23 kg/day gain). The second factor was OCM supplementation (+OCM; rumen protected choline [0.60 g/day] and methionine [10 g/day] in a fine ground corn carrier and weekly injections of 320 mg folate and 10 mg vitamin B12) or no supplementation (-OCM; corn carrier and saline injections). Blood samples were collected on day -2 and day 62 relative to breeding. Samples were analyzed for hematocrit and complete blood cell count with differential. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS with day -2 as a covariate and significance at P < 0.05. Red blood cell count was greater (P = 0.0019) in RES than CON (9.29 vs 8.30 ± 0.186 × 106 cells/mm3). Hematocrit (P = 0.08) and packed cell volume tended (P = 0.09) to be greater in RES than CON. The percentage of monocytes was less (P = 0.04) in +OCM than -OCM (1.5 vs 3.0 ± 0.50 %). The percentage of segmented neutrophils was greater (P = 0.01) in CON than RES (24.6 vs 16.8 ± 1.93 %). These results indicate that supplementation with OCM did not increase hematopoiesis in early gestion in heifers receiving an adequate or restricted plane of nutrition.