This study evaluated the effects of maternal supplementation with rumen-protected methionine (RPM), alone or combined with rumen-protected choline (RPC) and betaine (RPB), during the periconceptional and prepartum periods on reproductive outcomes and offspring performance in Chios ewes. One hundred synchronized ewes were assigned to three groups—control (no supplementation), M (5.50 g RPM/day), and MCB (3.50 g RPM, 1.60 g RPC, 0.49 g RPB/day)—from day −14 to +14 relative to mating. Blood was collected on days −14, 0, and +14 for ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), ferric-reducing ability (FRAP), and malondialdehyde (MDA), on days 18 and 21 for progesterone, and on day 26 for pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (PAG) detection. Thirty days before and up to lambing, the ewes were further divided into C-C, C-M, C-MCB, M-M, M-C, MCB-MCB, and MCB-C subgroups. Embryonic loss did not differ between groups. FRAP was higher (p < 0.001) in MCB ewes, and ABTS was lower (p < 0.05) in M ewes, in the periconceptional period. Offspring in the C-M, C-MCB, M-M, M-C, and MCB-MCB groups had higher birth weights (p < 0.01), along with increased MDA levels (p < 0.05). The results suggest that maternal methyl donor supplementation during early and/or late gestation enhances antioxidant status, supports embryonic development, and increases birth weight.
Kotsampasi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.