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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 #396958
Research Project: Optimizing Nutrient Management and Efficiency of Beef Cattle and Swine

Location: Nutrition, Growth and Physiology

Title: The impacts of maternal nutrition during the first 50 days of gestation: Folate and B12 concentrations in maternal serum and fetal fluids

Author
item SYRING, J - North Dakota State University
item NEVILLE, T - North Dakota State University
item Crouse, Matthew
item WARD, A - North Dakota State University
item DAHLEN, C - North Dakota State University
item REYNOLDS, L - North Dakota State University
item BOROWICZ, P - North Dakota State University
item MCLEAN, K - University Of Tennessee
item Neville, Bryan
item CATON, J - North Dakota State University

Submitted to: State University Ag Report
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/30/2022
Publication Date: 10/8/2022
Citation: Syring, J.G., 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. The impacts of maternal nutrition during the first 50 days of gestation: Folate and B12 concentrations in maternal serum and fetal fluids. 2022 North Dakota Livestock Research Report. 84-87. Available: https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/2022-north-dakota-livestock-research-report

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Proper maternal nutrition throughout gestation is important for fetal programming and development (Wu et al., 2004). Restricted maternal nutrition, such as during long periods of drought and poor forage quality, can have impacts on the proper development of the calf. Major fetal organ systems are present by day 50 of gestation (Winters et al., 1942; Dahlen et al., 2021), and thus nutrition during early gestation is important for proper organ development. A key pathway regulating fetal development is one carbon metabolism, and it plays a major role in proper gene expression. Some of the intermediates in this pathway, known as one carbon metabolites (OCM), include the vitamins B12, folate, and choline along with the amino acid methionine. This study examined the concentrations of two OCM, B12 and folate, present in maternal serum, fetal allantoic fluid (ALF), and fetal amniotic fluid (AMF) in heifers fed either a control or a restricted diet. Forty-three angus-cross heifers were artificially inseminated with female-sexed semen and placed on one of two diets. The control diet (CON) was formulated to meet 100% of NRC requirements for beef heifers, while the restricted diet (RES) was fed to 60% of CON. Vitamin B12 and folate were both found to be greater (P = 0.04 and P = 0.03, respectively) in the ALF of RES heifers when compared to the concentrations in the ALF of CON heifers. There was also a treatment × fluid interaction (P = 0.04) for B12 concentrations, and a fluid effect (P < 0.001) on folate concentrations. Thus, these findings indicate that a moderate nutrient restriction of the dam during early gestation increases concentration of B¬12 and folate in ALF.