Milk Fatty Acids Composition Changes According to β-Hydroxybutyrate Concentrations in Ewes during Early Lactation
by
, , , , and
Enrico Fiore
1,*
,
Anastasia Lisuzzo
1,
Rossella Tessari
1,
Nicoletta Spissu
2,
Livia Moscati
3,
Massimo Morgante
1,
Matteo Gianesella
1,
Tamara Badon
1,
Elisa Mazzotta
1
,
Michele Berlanda
1,
Barbara Contiero
1
and
Filippo Fiore
2 1
Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Viale dell’ Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
2
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy
3
Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Umbria and Marche, Via G. Salvemini, 06126 Perugia, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2021, 11(5), 1371; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051371
Submission received: 2 April 2021
/
Revised: 6 May 2021
/
Accepted: 10 May 2021
/
Published: 12 May 2021
(This article belongs to the Collection Diseases of Small Ruminants)
Simple Summary
Ketosis can occur during the last six weeks of gestation and continue to the early weeks of lactation due to an increase in energy requirement. This condition can cause substantial economic issues because of the decrease in production, the cost of medical management, the loss of the mothers and the lambs. A better knowledge of this disorder and its early diagnosis could make treatment more effective and optimize productivity. The aims of this study were to understand the metabolic status of the early-lactating ewes and to identify biomarkers for precocious diagnosis of subclinical ketosis using gas chromatographic technique. Different relationships were found between milk fatty acids and metabolic status of the ewes. Furthermore, 8 potential biomarkers were determined.
Abstract
Ketosis is a metabolic disease of pregnant and lactating ewes linked to a negative energy balance which can cause different economic losses. The aims of this study were to understand the metabolic status of the early-lactating ewes and to identify biomarkers for early diagnosis of subclinical ketosis. Forty-six Sarda ewes were selected in the immediate post-partum for the collection of the biological samples. A blood sample from the jugular vein was used to determine β-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentrations. Animals were divided into two groups: BHB 0 or healthy group (n = 28) with BHB concentration < 0.86 mmol/L; and BHB 1 or subclinical ketosis (n = 18) with a BHB concentration ≥ 0.86 mmol/L. Ten mL of pool milk were collected at the morning milking for the analyses. The concentration of 34 milk fatty acids was evaluated using gas chromatography. Two biochemical parameters and 11 milk fatty acids of the total lipid fraction presented a p-value ≤ 0.05. The study revealed different relationships with tricarboxylic acid cycle, blood flows, immune and nervous systems, cell functions, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress status. Eight parameters were significant for the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with an area under the curve greater than 0.70.
Keywords:
β-Hydroxybutyrate; ewes; gas-chromatography; milk fatty acids
