Skeletal muscle metabolomics and blood biochemistry analysis reveal metabolic changes associated with dietary amino acid supplementation in dairy calves

Abstract

The effects of different amino acid (AA) supplementations of milk protein-based milk replacers in pre-ruminant calves from 3 days to 7 weeks of age were studied. Animals were divided into 4 groups: Ctrl) Control group fed with milk protein-based milk replacer without supplementation; GP) supplementation with 0.1% glycine and 0.3% proline; FY) supplementation with 0.2% phenylalanine and 0.2% tyrosine; MKT) supplementation with 0.62% lysine, 0.22% methionine and 0.61% threonine. For statistical analysis, t-test was used to compare AA-supplemented animals to the Ctrl group. At week 7, body weight and average daily gain (ADG) were measured and blood samples and skeletal muscle biopsies were taken. Blood biochemistry analytes related to energy metabolism were determined and it was shown that MKT group had higher serum creatinine and higher plasma concentration of three supplemented AAs as well as arginine compared with the Ctrl group. GP group had similar glycine/proline plasma concentration compared with the other groups while in FY group only plasma phenylalanine concentration was higher compared with Control. Although the AA supplementations in the GP and FY groups did not affect average daily gain and metabolic health profile from serum, the metabolome analysis from skeletal muscle biopsy revealed several differences between the GP-FY groups and the Ctrl-MKT groups, suggesting a metabolic adaptation especially in GP and FY groups.

MEATabolomics: Muscle and Meat Metabolomics in Domestic Animals

“…These results indicated that metabolite signatures could be utilized as indices not only in feeding-originated beef quality but also in animal welfare and authentication. In other studies, the effects of dietary amino acids and mate extract administration on beef were also investigated by NMR approaches followed by PCA [21,22]. Biopsy semitendinosus muscle samples of dairy calves fed protein-based milk replacer at 7 weeks of age were classified by amino acid supplementation [21].…”

“…In other studies, the effects of dietary amino acids and mate extract administration on beef were also investigated by NMR approaches followed by PCA [21,22]. Biopsy semitendinosus muscle samples of dairy calves fed protein-based milk replacer at 7 weeks of age were classified by amino acid supplementation [21]. Additionally, in a study of feedlot Nellore cattle, the dietary addition of mate extract, one of the antioxidant additives administered to broiler chickens, resulted in increased content of IMP, creatine, carnosine, and conjugated linoleic acid in the LT muscle, and some of these were in a dose-dependent manner [22].…”

Biomarkers of fitness and welfare in dairy animals: healthy living

“…The use of these two omics technologies has been crucial in dairy sciences and several proteins and metabolites have been associated to specific study topics. Thus, studies about tolerance to seasonal weight loss in dairy goats (Hernández-Castellano et al ., 2015), insulin resistance in transition dairy cows (Zachut, 2015), response to seasonal heat stress in late pregnant dairy cows (Zachut et al ., 2017) and amino acid composition of milk replacer on muscle metabolites (Yu et al ., 2018) have been published over the last few years. Moreover, as newborn survival is an important factor affecting fitness, assessment of colostrum quality and intake represents an important area of investigation in both large and small ruminants (Banchero et al ., 2015; Buczinski and Vanderveerd, 2016).…”

Metabolome and proteome changes in skeletal muscle and blood of pre-weaning calves fed leucine and threonine supplemented diets

“…Biopsies were obtained from the semitendinosus muscle as previously described [11] and kept at −80 °C until further analysis. Prior to Omics assays, frozen muscle tissues were ground into a fine powder with mortar and pestle in liquid nitrogen and at least two 0.5 g aliquots were made and kept in a 15 ml polypropylene vial at -80 °C.…”

“…Methods, reagents and intra-assay CV (%) were previously reported [12]. Plasma AA were determined by HPLC as described [11] with some modifications. Briefly, an Elite LaChrom (Hitachi, Tokyo, Japan) equipped with an UV detector (Hitachi L-24200, Tokyo, Japan) with a Novapak C18 column (300 mm x 3.9 mm) from Waters (Milford, MA, USA) were used.…”