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Effect of supplementation of unprotected or protected arginine to prolific ewes on maternal amino acids profile, lamb survival at birth, and pre- and post-weaning lamb growth.

ABSTRACT: This research determined the effects of dietary supplementation with rumen-protected arginine (Pro-Arg) on metabolites and amino acids in maternal plasma and lamb survival rate at birth (LSRAB) in prolific Afec-Assaf ewes. The hypothesis was that Pro-Arg, the precursor for nitric oxide and polyamines, would increase placental development and vascularity, uteroplacental blood flow, and nutrient transport and reduce oxidative stress to increase LSRAB. Ewes were fed either their basal diet, basal diet with Pro-Arg, or basal diet with unprotected arginine (Unp-Arg; 18 g/head/d). The supplemental arginine was about 1% of the dry matter intake from day 40 or 60 of gestation until parturition. Ninety-two of 98 ewes produced live lambs. Ewes fed Pro-Arg had greater (P = 0.002) concentrations of arginine and other amino acids in plasma, whereas Unp-Arg did not affect concentrations of arginine, but decreased (P < 0.05) concentrations of some amino acids. There was no effect of treatments on gestation length (144 ± 2 d), prolificacy (2.65 lambs born per ewe), LSRAB (0.80), body weight (88.8 ± 10.8 kg), and body condition score (2.8 ± 0.6) of ewes, or birth weight and crown-rump length of lambs. The GI (BW/CRL1.5) was affected by sex of lamb (P = 0.008), parity of ewe (P = 0.002), litter size (P = 0.0001), and lamb status (P = 0.003). Of 229 lambs born, 32 were dead and 16 died before 5 mo of age, leaving 181 lambs with records on weights at birth and 5 mo of age. Interestingly, lambs born to ewes fed the Unp-Arg and Pro-Arg weighed 3.6 kg less at postnatal day 150 than lambs from control ewes.

SUBMITTER: Gootwine E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7694597 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The aim of the present study was to derive individual methane ( CH4 ) emissions in ewes separated in CH4 respiration and eructation traits. The generated longitudinal CH4 data structure was used to estimate phenotypic and genetic relationships between ewe CH4 records and energy efficiency indicator traits from same ewes as well as from their lambs (intergenerational perspective). In this regard, we recorded CH4 emissions via mobile laser methane detector (LMD) technique, body weight (EBW), backfat thickness (BFT) and body condition score (BCS) from 330 ewes (253 Merinoland (ML), 77 Rhön sheep (RH)) and their 629 lambs (478?ML, 151?RH). The interval between repeated measurements (for ewe traits and lamb body weight (LBW)) was 3 weeks during lactation. For methane concentration ( µ L?L -1 ) determinations in the exhaled air, we considered short time measurements (3?min). Afterwards, CH4 emissions were portioned into a respiration and eructation fraction, based on a double normal distribution. Data preparation enabled the following CH4 trait definitions: mean CH4 concentration during respiration and eructation ( CH4r+e ), mean CH4 concentration during respiration ( CH4r ), mean CH4 concentration during eructation ( CH4e ), sum of CH4 concentrations per minute during respiration ( CH4rsum ), sum of CH4 concentrations per minute during eructation ( CH4esum ), maximal CH4 concentration during respiration ( CH4rmax ), maximal CH4 concentration during eructation ( CH4emax ), and eructation events per minute ( CH4event ). Large levels of ewe CH4 emissions representing energy losses were significantly associated with lower LBW ( P<0.05 ), lower EBW ( P<0.01 ) and lower BFT ( P<0.05 ). For genetic parameter estimations, we applied single- and multiple-trait animal models. Heritabilities and additive genetic variances for CH4 traits were small, i.e., heritabilities in the range from <0.01 ( CH4r+e , CH4r , CH4rmax , CH4esum ) to 0.03 ( CH4rsum ). We estimated negative genetic correlations between CH4 traits and EBW in the range from - 0.44 ( CH4r+e ) to - 0.05 ( CH4rsum ). Most of the CH4 traits were genetically negatively correlated with BCS ( - 0.81 for CH4esum ) and with BFT ( - 0.72 for CH4emax ), indicating same genetic mechanisms for CH4 output and energy efficiency indicators. Addressing the intergenerational aspect, genetic correlations between CH4 emissions from ewes and LBW ranged between - 0.35 ( CH4r+e ) and 0.01 ( CH4rsum , CH4rmax ), indicating that breeding on reduced CH4 emissions (especially eructation traits) contribute to genetic improvements in lamb weaning performance.

Project description:This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of L-arginine supplementation levels during late gestation on reproductive performance and piglet uniformity in high prolific sows. A total of 60 F1 multiparous sows (Yorkshire × Landrace), with an average body weight of 238.2 kg, were allotted to one of three treatment groups in a completely randomized design. The dietary treatments were divided by the supplementation level of arginine during the late-gestation period, from day 70 to farrowing, as follows-(1) CON: corn-soybean meal-based basal diet (Arg 0.72%), (2) Arg10: basal diet + L-Arg 0.28% (Arg 1.0%), and (3) Arg15: basal diet + L-Arg 0.79% (Arg 1.5%). The same lactation diet was provided ad libitum to sows during the lactation period. There were no significant differences in body weight and backfat thickness in sows during late-gestation and lactation. Dietary arginine levels had no significant influences on the number of total born, stillbirth, and born alive. However, increasing inclusion level of L-arginine supplementation tended to increase (p < 0.10) alive litter weight linearly, and also linearly increased (p < 0.05) the piglet weight gain and litter weight gain during the lactation period. In piglet uniformity, the standard deviation of piglet birth weight (p < 0.05) and the coefficient of variation for piglet birth weight (p < 0.10) increased linearly, as dietary arginine levels increased in the late gestation period. Increasing L-arginine supplementation to late gestating sows linearly increased (p < 0.05) the blood concentrations of arginine and ornithine at day 90 and day 110 of gestation. On the other hand, dietary arginine levels in late gestation did not affect the blood parameters related to the nitrogen utilization. Increasing dietary arginine levels for the late gestating sows did not affect the milk composition for colostrum and milk at day 21 of lactation. In conclusion, the inclusion level of arginine in the diet for late gestating sows, by up to 1.5%, could improve the alive litter weight at birth and litter weight gain during lactation, whereas the piglet uniformity at birth was decreased due to the increase of survival for fetuses with light birth weight.

Project description:Our previous studies revealed that L-arginine supplementation had beneficial effects on intestinal barrier functions of low-birth-weight (LBW) piglets, which were associated with the enhanced antioxidant capacity. Moreover, mitochondrial functions are closely related to the redox state. This study was to explore potential mechanisms of L-arginine-induced beneficial effects against intestinal dysfunction by regulating mitochondrial function of LBW piglets. Twenty 4-day-old normal birth weight (NBW) piglets (BW: 2.08 ± 0.09 kg) and 20 LBW siblings (BW: 1.16 ± 0.07 kg) were artificially fed either a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with 1.0% L-arginine for 21 d, respectively. Growth performance, intestinal morphology, redox status, mitochondrial morphology, and mitochondrial functions were examined. Data were subjected to two-way analysis of variance. LBW piglets presented lower (p < 0.05) ADG, shorter (p < 0.05) intestinal villus height, lower (p < 0.05) jejunal adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content and higher (p < 0.05) concentrations of Ca2+ and 8-OH-dG in jejunal mitochondria, compared with NBW piglets. Supplementation with 1.0% L-arginine significantly increased (p < 0.05) ADG, the activities of CAT, SOD, and GPx, intestinal villus height and mRNA abundances of ZO-1 (2-fold) in the jejunum of LBW piglets, but not in NBW piglets. Furthermore, the concentrations of ATP and the transcription of COX IV, COX V genes were up-regulated (p < 0.05) and the concentration of Ca2+ and 8-OH-dG were decreased (p < 0.05) in arginine-treated LBW piglets. The results suggest that mitochondrial morphology is affected, and mitochondrial functions are impaired in the jejunum of LBW piglets. While supplementation with 1.0% L-arginine relieved intestinal dysfunction through enhancing antioxidant capacity and improving mitochondrial functions via repairing mitochondrial morphology, normalizing mitochondrial calcium, and increasing ATP concentration in the jejunum of LBW piglets. However, supplementation with L-arginine has no significant beneficial effects on intestinal health in NBW piglets.

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Effect of supplementation of unprotected or protected arginine to prolific ewes on maternal amino acids profile, lamb survival at birth, and pre- and post-weaning lamb growth.

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