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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 #397658
Research Project: Optimizing Nutrient Management and Efficiency of Beef Cattle and Swine

Location: Nutrition, Growth and Physiology

Title: Maternal nutrition during first 50 days of gestation: Impacts on B12 and folate concentrations, interrelationships in maternal, fetal fluids

Author
item SYRING, JESSICA - North Dakota State University
item Crouse, Matthew
item NEVILLE, TAMMI - North Dakota State University
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: Beef Magazine
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/15/2022
Publication Date: 9/30/2022
Citation: Syring, J.G., Crouse, M.S., Neville, T.L., Ward, A.K., Dahlen, C.R., Reynolds, L.P., Borowicz, P.P., McLean, K.J., Neville, B.W., Caton, J.S. 2022. Maternal nutrition during first 50 days of gestation: Impacts on B12 and folate concentrations, interrelationships in maternal, fetal fluids. Beef Magazine. September/October:1-7.

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 day 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 day 34 than on day 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.