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Abstract This study evaluated the effects of maternal supplementation during pre- and postpartum of a Bacillus-based direct-fed microbial (DFM) on plasma metabolome of Bos indicus-influenced cow-calf pairs. On d 0, 72 pregnant Brangus crossbred beef heifers (20 to 22 mo of age) were stratified by their initial body weight (BW; 431 ± 31 kg) and body condition score (BCS; 6.0 ± 0.36), and randomly allocated into 1 of 12 bahiagrass pastures (1 ha and 6 heifers/pasture). Treatments were randomly assigned to pastures (6 pastures/treatment) and consisted of heifers supplemented with 1 kg/d of soybean hulls dry matter added (BAC) or not (CON) with a Bacillus-based DFM mixture (Bovacillus; Chr. Hansen A/S, Hørsholm, Denmark) from d 0 to 242 (139 ± 4 d prepartum to 104 ± 4 d postpartum). Calves were weaned on d 242 (96 ± 30 d of age) and then allocated into 1 of 12 drylot pens and limit-fed the same concentrate at 3.25% of BW until day 319. On d 271 and 287, calves were vaccinated against pathogens associated with bovine respiratory disease and Clostridium. Blood samples were collected from all heifers on d 0 and 63 and from all calves on d 271, 274, and 287 to determine the plasma concentration of metabolites using liquid chromatography. The PLS-DA revealed a clear separation of plasma metabolome profile of BAC and CON heifers and offspring. For the heifer metabolome, 66.5% of the treatment separation on d 63 was explained using 3 components (R2 = 0.96), and BAC heifers had increased (P ≤ 0.05) plasma concentration of 17 metabolites, including phosphatidylcholines and amino acids related classes, but decreased (P ≤ 0.05) plasma concentration of 4 metabolites from triglycerides class compared with CON heifers. For the calf metabolome, 45.6 (R2 = 0.95), 56.7 (R2 = 0.95), and 61.3% (R2 = 0.99) of the treatment separation on d 271, 274, and 287, respectively, were explained using 3 components. Plasma concentrations of 9, 10, and 28 metabolites associated with protein and fatty acid metabolism increased (P ≤ 0.05) in BAC vs. CON calves on d 271, 274, and 287, respectively. Compared with CON, BAC calves had increased (P ≤ 0.05) concentration of metabolites from phosphatidylcholines class all days, from amino acids related class on d 274 and 287, and from triglycerides class on d 287. Plasma concentrations of 3 and 6 metabolites from triglycerides class decreased (P ≤ 0.05) in BAC vs. CON calves on d 271 and 274, respectively. Thus, maternal supplementation of Bacillus-based DFM altered the plasma metabolome of heifers and their calves, leading to increased plasma concentrations of phosphatidylcholine and amino acids related classes in heifers and calves, but fluctuating effects on triglycerides class concentrations in calves.
Izquierdo et al. (Sun,) studied this question.