Effect of chromium propionate for pregnant ewes fed at different nutritional levels on the proteomic characterization of offspring meat

• Grant number: 24/02249-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Agreement: CNPq
• Principal Investigator: Sarita Bonagurio Gallo
• Grantee: Sarita Bonagurio Gallo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/08188-0 - Supplementation with chromium propionate for pregnant ewes fed different nutritional levels and its effects on the sheep and offspring, AP.R
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/16360-0 - Effect of chromium propionate for pregnant ewes fed at different nutritional levels on the proteomic characterization of offspring meat, BP.JD

Abstract

Chromium is an essential trace element for glucose metabolism and there are indications that it increases muscle deposition and alters the metabolism of lipids and proteins. Its use has been investigated as a nutritional supplement in animal production, due to its ability to amplify intracellular insulin signaling and increase the efficiency of energy distribution in the body, mitigating the harmful effects of metabolic stress in phases of high nutritional demand, such as the final phase. of pregnancy, where greater fetal growth occurs. Furthermore, maternal nutrition during different phases of pregnancy can induce significant changes in the structure, physiology and metabolism of the progeny. Such changes can have important implications for animal production, especially if they impact muscle and adipose tissue development. With the aim of investigating the abundance of proteins present in lamb meat in response to maternal supplementation with chromium propionate at different nutritional levels, the methodology described in the Fapesp Research Grant, process 2023/08188-0, to which the present project is being included, where 108 ewes will be used, which will be divided at 100 days of gestation (DG) in a randomized block design, by type of birth, in a 3 x 2 factorial experiment, with three (3 ) nutrition levels and two (2) with or without chromium, at 0.5 mg chromium propionate/kg DM. The following treatments will be used: CTL, the sheep will be fed with 100% of the nutritional recommendation, but without chromium supplementation; CTLCr, similar to CTL, but supplemented with chromium. LOW, fed with 80% of the nutritional recommendation and without chromium; LOWCr, similar to LOW plus chrome. PLUS, fed with 120% of the recommendation and without chromium, PLUSCr with a diet identical to PLUS and chromium, supplementation ending at birth. After 60 days of lactation, male lambs will be weaned and confined in individual pens for 60 days, where dry matter intake (DMI) will be measured daily, and live weight will be measured every 14 days to evaluate performance. After 60 days of confinement, the animals will be slaughtered and, 24 hours postmortem, samples will be taken from the Longissimus dorsi muscle for physical-chemical analyzes related to pH, instrumental color values, tenderness and fatty acid profile. Samples will be collected for the proteomic study using the high definition mass spectrometry proteomic approach. Meat performance and characteristics data will be evaluated using PROC MIXED of SAS Software version 9.4, by comparing means using the Tukey test at 5% probability. Mass spectrometry data will be acquired using Waters MassLynx Software v.4.1 and processed using Progenesis QI for Proteomics Software (QIP) 2.0. It is expected to find differences in the protein profile of m. Longissimus dorsi to better explore the biological mechanisms influenced by chromium on muscle development and its consequent effect on the quality of meat as a final product. (AU)