Dietary betaine supplementation has energy-sparing effects in feedlot cattle during summer, particularly in those without access to shade

Abstract

Abstract. Dietary betaine supplementation improves water retention in steers and may influence lean-tissue deposition, while also acting as an osmolyte to help regulate cellular osmotic balance. This study investigated the interactions between shade and dietary betaine on carcass characteristics, tissue enzyme activity and gene expression in 48 feedlot steers during summer. Steers were randomly allocated to a 4 · 2 factorial design with the factors being dietary betaine (0, 10, 20 or 40 g) and shade (with and without shade) for 120 days. Tissue samples were obtained at slaughter and analysed for gene expression of heat shock proteins 70 and 90 (HSP70/90) and expression of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), and enzyme activity of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and glycerol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH). Carcasses were evaluated for quality. Carcass weight at slaughter was not altered by shade (P = 0.18) but tended to be increased by dietary betaine (306 v. 314 kg, P = 0.09). The P8 backfat was not altered by shade (P = 0.43) or dietary betaine (P = 0.32), although there was a within dietary betaine effect whereby P8 backfat tended to be greater in steers fed 10 g compared with 40 g betaine/day (17.4 v. 14.5 mm, P = 0.06). Muscle pH at 1 h (5.97 v. 6.03, P = 0.01) and 2 h (5.73 v. 5.80, P = 0.04) post-slaughter was higher in shaded steers, and muscle pH at 1 h post-slaughter was higher in steers fed 10 or 20 g than those fed 40 g betaine/day (6.03 v. 6.03 v. 5.95, P = 0.005). Gene expression was not altered by betaine, while adipose tissues expressed more of each gene than muscle (P < 0.001). The mRNA expression of HSF1 and HSP90 was influenced by a shade · betaine interaction, although the direction of this interaction was irregular (P = 0.03 and 0.03, respectively). Adipose tissue FAS and G6PDH enzyme activity was unaffected by shade and betaine. The results of this study indicate that betaine supplementation may be a successful carcass modifier in growing feedlot steers during summer. Provision of shade during summer may reduce the rate of pH decline in the first 2 h after slaughter and reduce the risk of high rigor temperature.

Factors influencing the incidence of high rigor temperature in beef carcasses in Australia

“…In our study, grass-fed cattle had a higher incidence of high rigor temperature in fatter carcasses, thus it is suggested that fat trimming could be used to accelerate the temperature decline in these carcasses. In contrast, there was no relationship between carcass fatness and temperature at rigor for carcasses from grainfed animals, suggesting that other interventions are required (or combinations of interventions), such as on-farm betaine feeding (DiGiacomo et al 2014a(DiGiacomo et al , 2014b, pre-slaughter interventions at the plant such as showering or shade provision or post-slaughter interventions such as vascular flushing, hot boning, opening of seams, very fast chilling or immersion cooling (Jacob and Hopkins 2014;Jacob et al 2014a).…”

Betaine Supplementation Improves the Production Performance, Rumen Fermentation, and Antioxidant Profile of Dairy Cows in Heat Stress

“…Consistent with these results, Hall et al [25] stated that supplementation of betaine at 35 and 70 g/d improved milk production in thermoneutral conditions but not in heat stress. Curvilinear dose responses to betaine supplementation have also been noticed in beef cattle and sheep during HS with improvements at 2 and 15 g betaine per day, respectively [6,10]. The reason for the moderation in response to high doses of Bet during HS may be that the stimulation of hepatic metabolism and a resultant upsurge in heat production by the liver may offset the decrease in heat production due to the osmoprotective effects of betaine in the rest of the body [1].…”

“…It performs as a molecular chaperone [1], reduces the vulnerability of microbes to stress [9], and under some conditions, has antimicrobial activity [1]. In addition, Bet is an amino acid and has the ability to improve the production performance of different animals [1], such as steers [10] and pigs [11]. These results suggest that betaine has the potential to reduce heat stress by reducing energy expenditure [6], thereby reducing metabolic heat production and maintaining osmotic balance in animals facing heat stress.…”

Dietary Betaine Impacts the Physiological Responses to Moderate Heat Conditions in a Dose Dependent Manner in Sheep

“…Employing a dietary supplement may be a cost effective and simple method for ameliorating the negative impact of HE in sheep. Dietary betaine (trimethylglycine) is an amino acid capable of acting as an organic osmolyte or a methyl donor that can improve animal production measures in pigs [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], poultry [ 17 , 18 ], steers [ 19 , 20 ] and lambs [ 21 ]. This combination of effects suggests that betaine has the potential to ameliorate heat stress by reducing energy expenditure [ 22 ] and hence metabolic heat production, whilst also acting to maintain osmotic balance in animals experiencing HE.…”