Early Feed Restriction Programs Metabolic Disorders in Fattening Merino Lambs

Abstract

Simple SummaryInadequate nutrition of lambs during early life may compromise their health status during their whole lifetime. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of milk restriction during the suckling period on biochemical, immunological, hepatic, and ruminal parameters of fattening lambs. The results obtained reveal that early feed restriction during the suckling period of merino lambs promotes systemic metabolic disorders during the fattening phase that are not related to ruminal acidosis occurrence. This information may contribute to design strategies to enhance the health status of lambs undergoing milk restriction due to low milk production (e.g., udder problems) or lack of lamb vitality.AbstractEarly postnatal nutrition may have a significant subsequent impact on metabolic disorders during the entire lifespan of lambs. The aim of the present study was to describe the changes in biochemical, immunological, hepatic, and ruminal parameters of fattening lambs derived from early feed restriction during the suckling phase. Twenty-four merino lambs (average body weight, BW, 4.81 ± 0.256 kg) were used, 12 of them were milk-fed ad libitum (ADL) remaining permanently with their dams, whereas the other 12 lambs (restricted, RES) were subjected to milk restriction. After weaning, all the lambs were fed 35 g/kg BW per day of the same complete pelleted diet to ensure no differences between groups in dry matter intake (603 vs. 607 g/day for ADL and RES lambs, respectively, p = 0.703), and were slaughtered at a BW of 27 kg. Biochemical profiles revealed higher concentrations of ceruloplasmin and low-density lipoproteins, whereas insulin concentration was lower in the RES lambs compared to the ADL group. Liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were lower in the RES lambs. No significant differences in ruminal or blood immunological parameters were found. In conclusion, early feed restriction promoted metabolic disorders not related to ruminal acidosis occurrence, which can compromise the health status during the fattening period of merino lambs.

Moderated milk replacer restriction of ewe lambs alters gut immunity parameters during the pre-weaning period and impairs liver function and animal performance during the replacement phase

“…In the present study a transitory imbalance in the antioxidant status during the suckling period could be observed in the pre-weaned RES lambs (e.g., lower FRAP and PON values), which also manifested proinflammatory conditions at ileal level. However, the lack of significant differences in the positive acute-phase proteins involved in inflammation (e.g., haptoglobin and ceruloplasmin) or in those parameters related to metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance (e.g., glucose and insulin) differ from those results previously observed in early feed restricted fattening lambs (Frutos et al, 2018b). This apparent contradiction might be explained by the different diets administered during the refeeding period in each experiment: whilst the replacement ewes were fed a TMR rich in fibre, the fattening lambs were fed an acidogenic diet (e.g., rich in cereals and carbohydrates)…”

“…hydroxybutyrate (BHB), paraoxonase (PON), reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM), myeloperoxidase, ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), Ca, Mg, Zn, retinol, tocopherol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), total bilirubin, creatinine, glucose, insulin, urea, protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and triglycerides as described byFrutos et al (2018b). Globulin was calculated as the difference between total protein and albumin.…”

Efecto de la alimentación en la fase de lactancia sobre la eficiencia de utilización del alimento en el período posdestete y su relación con la microbiota del tracto digestivo, el estatus oxidativo e inmunológico en el ganado ovino = Effects of early feed restriction during the post-weaning period on feed efficiency, gastrointestinal microbiota, anti-oxidant status and immunity parameters of lambs

“…In the present study a transitory imbalance in the antioxidant status during the suckling period could be observed in the pre-weaned RES lambs (e.g., lower FRAP and PON values), which also manifested pro-inflammatory conditions at ileal level. However, the lack of significant differences in the positive acutephase proteins involved in inflammation (e.g., haptoglobin and ceruloplasmin) or in those parameters related to metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance (e.g., glucose and insulin) differ from those results previously observed in early feed restricted fattening lambs (Frutos et al, 2018b). This apparent contradiction might be explained by the different diets administered during the refeeding period in each experiment: whilst the replacement ewes were fed a TMR rich in fibre, the fattening lambs were fed an acidogenic diet (e.g., rich in cereals and carbohydrates) which together with the pro-inflammatory conditions promoted by early feed restriction might have compromised the health status under stressful diet conditions.…”

“…Plasma samples were analysed for haptoglobin, ceruloplasmine, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), paraoxonase (PON), reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM), myeloperoxidase, ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), Ca, Mg, Zn, retinol, tocopherol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), total bilirubin, creatinine, glucose, insulin, urea, protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and triglycerides as described by Frutos et al (2018b). Globulin was calculated as the difference between total protein and albumin.…”

Programación metabólica de la eficiencia alimentaria en corderos: efecto de la restricción de alimento en la etapa de lactancia y mecanismos moleculares implicados = Metabolic programming of lamb feed efficiency: effect of feed restriction during the suckling period and molecular mechanisms involved

“…Esto concuerda con los menores valores de TBARS hallados durante la fase de cebo en el hígado de los corderos del grupo RES (5,17 vs. 3,22 µg de MDA/g de muestra para los corderos ADL y RES del Exp. I, respectivamente; P=0,005; Frutos et al, 2018b), lo que sugiere que la peroxidación lipídica se encuentra disminuida como consecuencia del menor catabolismo de grasas observado en estos animales. A pesar de ello, los caracteres productivos indicaron una menor eficiencia alimentaria (IC) en este grupo durante la fase de cebo.…”