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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Nutrition, Growth and Physiology » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #392197
Research Project: Improve Nutrient Management and Efficiency of Beef Cattle and Swine

Location: Nutrition, Growth and Physiology

Title: Maternal nutrient restriction in beef heifers during early gestation increases B12 and folate concentrations in fetal allantoic fluids

Author
item SYRING, JESSICA - North Dakota State University
item NEVILLE, TAMMI - North Dakota State University
item Crouse, Matthew
item WARD, ALISON - North Dakota State University
item DAHLEN, CARL - North Dakota State University
item REYNOLDS, LAWRENCE - North Dakota State University
item BOROWICZ, PAWEL - North Dakota State University
item MCLEAN, KYLE - University Of Tennessee
item Neville, Bryan
item CATON, JOEL - North Dakota State University

Submitted to: Animal
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2022
Publication Date: 8/1/2022
Citation: Syring, J.S., Neville, T.L., Crouse, M.S., Ward, A.K., Dahlen, C.R., Reynolds, L.P., Borowicz, P.P., McLean, K.J., Neville, B.W., Caton, J.S. 2022. Maternal nutrient restriction in beef heifers during early gestation increases B12 and folate concentrations in fetal allantoic fluids. Animal. 13(3):271-272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anscip.2022.07.033.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anscip.2022.07.033

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We hypothesized that maternal nutrient restriction and day of gestation would affect the concentration of folate and vitamin B12 in maternal serum, allantoic fluid (ALF) and amniotic fluid (AMF) during early gestation in beef heifers. Forty-three heifers were artificially inseminated and fed a control (CON = 100% of requirements) or restricted (RES = 60% of CON) diet. On d 16, 34, or 50 of gestation, heifers were ovariohysterectomized and samples of maternal serum, ALF, and AMF were collected. The concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 in ALF were greater (P = 0.03 and P = 0.04, respectively) in RES than CON heifers. Folate concentration was also greater (P = 0.003) in ALF on d 34 than on d 50. Folate was greater in ALF, intermediate in serum, and lowest in AMF (P < 0.001). A nutrition × fluid interaction was observed for B12 concentrations, where it was greater (P = 0.04) in CON ALF than CON or RES serum and AMF, which were greater (P = 0.04) than RES ALF. These findings support our hypothesis that maternal nutrition and day of gestation affect folate and B12 concentrations in maternal serum, ALF, and AMF of beef heifers during early gestation.