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Animals
Special Issues
Nutrition and Metabolism of Cows and Stress Responses
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Nutrition and Metabolism of Cows and Stress Responses

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Cattle".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1551

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Huimin Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design of Jiangsu Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Interests: dairy cow; milk; lipid; rumen; multi-tissue omics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue represents a critical frontier in the science of dairy and beef cows, investigating the dynamic interplay between dietary inputs, physiological metabolism, and the animal's ability to cope with internal and external challenges. Research within this scope delves into how nutrients modulate metabolic pathways and endocrine signaling to either mitigate or exacerbate the effects of various stressors, such as heat stress, cold exposure, or negative energy balance. A core focus is on elucidating the resultant metabolic adaptations in cows, such as shifts in energy partitioning, oxidative stress status, inflammatory responses, and liver function, which ultimately determine health, productivity, and reproductive outcomes.

Multi-tissue omics is a powerful, integrative approach by analyzing genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data across different tissues. Its primary advantage is the ability to capture a holistic, systemic view of biological processes, accurately describe the adaptations of the animal’s body to nutrition and stress factors.

We welcome original research papers and reviews covering topics such as nutrition regulation, metabolic adaptations, and stress responses of dairy or beef cows. This Special Issue applies multi-tissue omics to enhance our understanding of intricate links between nutrition, stress, and metabolism, which is fundamental to building a more robust, efficient, and ethical future for cow production worldwide.

Dr. Huimin Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cow
  • nutrition
  • metabolism
  • stress responses
  • multi-tissue omics

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2445 KB  
Article
Effect of the Use of Bovine Appeasing Substance on Immunological, Metabolic, and Oxidative Parameters of Postpartum Dairy Cows: Modulation of the Stress Axis
by Alexandro Fritzen, Guilherme Luiz Deolindo, Luisa Nora and Aleksandro Schafer da Silva
Animals 2026, 16(8), 1185; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16081185 - 13 Apr 2026
Viewed by 556
Abstract
The responsiveness of the stress axis is fundamental for maintaining health and sustaining productive performance; however, the effect of modulating this stress axis with bovine appeasing substance and its effects on biochemical, immunological, oxidative parameters and uterine involution have not been determined, which [...] Read more.
The responsiveness of the stress axis is fundamental for maintaining health and sustaining productive performance; however, the effect of modulating this stress axis with bovine appeasing substance and its effects on biochemical, immunological, oxidative parameters and uterine involution have not been determined, which are the objectives of this experiment. To elucidate these questions, Holstein cows, from the prepartum to lactation period in a cross-ventilation system, received an application of a bovine appeasing substance (treated group) and a 0.9% saline solution (control group) at the time of calving, and blood samples were collected on calving day and on days 3, 7, 14 and 21 postpartum for analysis. Modulation of the stress axis by bovine appeasing substance increased magnesium levels on days 7 and 14 postpartum, with a reduction in fructosamine levels on days 3, 7, 14, and 21 postpartum. A reduction in ferritin levels, an acute-phase protein, and a reduction in interleukin 1 beta and interleukin 6 were also observed, demonstrating an anti-inflammatory effect in cows of the treated group. Creatine kinase activity decreased on day 21 postpartum in cows treated with bovine appeasing substances. An increase in cholinesterase activity on day 7 and a marked decrease on day 21 postpartum in treated cows were observed compared to the control. This was accompanied by a reduction in beta-hydroxybutyrate levels on day 7 and a reduction in reactive oxygen species levels on day 14 in animals of the treated group, indicating modulation of ketogenesis and reduced oxidation through an anti-inflammatory effect. Mean uterine thickness was also affected by the bovine appeasing substance, with a lower mean thickness on day 21 postpartum in treated cows. Modulation of the stress axis by the bovine appeasing substance reduces inflammation, improving energy dynamics and reducing oxidation, thus facilitating tissue repair associated with postpartum uterine involution in dairy cows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Metabolism of Cows and Stress Responses)
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23 pages, 5630 KB  
Article
Rumen–Plasma–Milk Metabolomics Profiling Revealed Metabolic Alterations Associated with Milk Fat Synthesis in Chinese Holstein Cows
by Huimin Zhang, Sam Carie Kollie, Tianyu Xia, Zhendong Yang, Marazi Tanaka Ian, Ahmed A. Elolimy, Wanqiong Wang, Dongsheng Lu, Yi Li, Mingxun Li, Juan J. Loor, Yongjiang Mao and Zhangping Yang
Animals 2026, 16(8), 1136; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16081136 - 8 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 663
Abstract
Milk fat synthesis in dairy cows is a complex process affected by ruminal fermentation, systemic metabolism, and mammary gland activity. To explore the metabolic interplay across these systems, a multi-tissue metabolomics approach (rumen fluid, plasma, and milk) using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry was [...] Read more.
Milk fat synthesis in dairy cows is a complex process affected by ruminal fermentation, systemic metabolism, and mammary gland activity. To explore the metabolic interplay across these systems, a multi-tissue metabolomics approach (rumen fluid, plasma, and milk) using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to identify metabolic differences between Chinese Holstein cows with high (H-MF, 5.82 ± 0.41%) and low (L-MF, 3.60 ± 0.12%) milk fat content under the same diet. The bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) were also cultured to evaluate the impact of a key metabolite, malic acid (MA), on lipid metabolism. Our findings reveal distinct metabolic profiles across rumen fluid, plasma, and milk, with 96, 109, and 79 differential metabolites, respectively, between the L-MF and H-MF groups. In rumen fluid, H-MF cows showed higher levels of lauric acid and succinic acid, linked to fatty acid biosynthesis, while the L-MF cows had elevated citraconic and orotic acids, associated with amino acid metabolism and liver stress. Plasma from the H-MF cows contained higher β-hydroxybutyric acid, methionine sulfoxide, and phosphatidylcholine, supporting lipogenesis, whereas L-MF plasma showed increased 3-hydroxy-L-proline, indicating tissue catabolism. In milk, the L-MF cows had higher MA, while the H-MF cows exhibited elevated L-carnitine, linked to fatty acid β-oxidation. Metabolite trend analysis during rumen fluid–plasma–milk showed that 211 metabolites were classified into 8 profiles. Profile 1 had the largest number of metabolites whose levels were down-regulated from rumen to plasma and enriched in lipid metabolism. Profile 3 (mainly related to amino acid metabolism) and profile 4 (mainly related to energy metabolism) exhibited opposite trends from plasma to milk. In vitro, 200 μM of MA reduced the triglyceride content in BMECs and down-regulated lipogenic genes and their protein expression levels (fatty acid synthase, stearoyl-CoA desaturase and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1). These results highlight how rumen fluid, plasma, and milk metabolites collectively influence milk fat synthesis, with MA acting as a key regulator of lipid metabolism in mammary epithelial cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Metabolism of Cows and Stress Responses)
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