Serum metabolite characterization and their potential association with feed efficiency in Nellore cattle

Author(s)

Francisco José de Novais

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Pirassununga.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Zootecnica e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZE/BT)
• Defense date: 2017-07-07

Examining board members

Heidge Fukumasu; Luiz Lehmann Coutinho; Amadeu Hoshi Iglesias; Felipe Perecin

• Advisor: Heidge Fukumasu

Abstract

Animal selection for residual feed intake (RFI) is intrinsically associated with decreased consumption of dry matter independent of body weight gain, selecting yielding increased production and economic efficiency but also decreasing the greenhouse gas emission of livestock. In this study, serum samples of 16 animals selected for divergent feed efficiency were collected prior to feedlot (day -21) and evaluated in an untargeted metabolomics approach, with the goal of using differential analysis, co-expression analysis and functional enrichment to identifier markers for feed efficiency prior to the feedlot. One feature was differentially accumulated between low and high RFI. WGCNA analysis identified 22 and 25 modules in positive and negative mode, respectively, of 1 module of each mode was strongly associated with RFI (r= 0.53, p-value <0.05 and r=0.52, p-value < 0.1 to negative and positive mode, respectively). Pathway enrichment analysis yielded 13 biological processes associated with feed efficiency including alterations in vitamins liposoluble metabolism, inflammation, oxidative stress, amino acid metabolism and fatty acid metabolism. Our findings suggest the possibility to identify a biomarker for feed efficiency and also discuss that differences in oxidative stress responses and inflammatory processes could explain the feed efficiency variation prior to feedlot. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/01059-4 - Analysis in serum metabolomic associated with feed efficiency in Nellore
• Grantee: Francisco José de Novais
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master