A proposed model to evaluate how changes in body condition score and the fatty acid profile of a supplement affect physiology and metabolic responses of nonlactating females

Abstract

Two experiments were designed to evaluate the effects of altering body condition score (BCS) and the profile of a fatty acid (FA) supplement on the metabolism of Bos indicus Nellore females. In experiment 1, 16 and 24 B. indicus heifers and nonlactating cows, respectively, were assigned to (1) maintenance diet (MNT-MNT; n = 10), (2) maintenance diet and BCS loss (MNT-LSS; n = 10), (3) maintenance diet supplemented with calcium salts of soybean oil for 30 d and BCS loss for 40 d (MNT+CFA-LSS; n = 10), and (4) maintenance diet for 30 d and BCS loss for 40 d with a diet containing calcium salts of soybean oil (MNT-LSS+CFA; n = 10). Following the BCS loss period, MNT-LSS, MNT+CFA-LSS, and MNT-LSS+CFA were fed a diet to promote the gain of BCS. In experiment 2, 40 Bos indicus nulliparous heifers were assigned to (1) maintenance diet (MNT-MNT; n = 10), (2) BCS loss followed by a BCS gain (LSS-REM; n = 10), (3) BCS loss followed by a BCS gain diet with CFA of palm oil (LSS-REM+PLM; n = 10), and (4) BCS loss followed by a BCS gain diet with CFA of soybean oil (LSS-REM+SOY; n = 10). Blood samples were obtained for serum haptoglobin and fecal samples for pH (experiment 2 only). In experiment 1, a treatment × day interaction was observed for BCS during the 60-d BCS loss and gain period. Animals assigned to MNT-MNT had a greater BCS than the other treatment groups on d 40 and 60 of the experiment, but no other differences were observed. Moreover, a treatment × day interaction was observed for serum haptoglobin, as on d 60, MNT-LSS had a greater mean serum haptoglobin concentration. In experiment 2, a treatment × day interaction was also observed for BCS. From d −4 to 0, LSS-REM and LSS-REM+SOY had a reduced BCS versus MNT-MNT, but also lower for LSS-REM versus MNT-MNT on d 1, and LSS-REM+PLM versus MNT-MNT on d −1 and 0. For serum haptoglobin, no treatment or treatment × day interaction was observed. A treatment × day interaction was observed for fecal pH. From d −10 to 0, MNT often had a lower fecal pH, but during realimentation, LSS-REM heifers had a reduced fecal pH on d 1, 4, and 10. In summary, we failed to demonstrate an increase in serum haptoglobin due to a BCS loss. Still, supplementation with calcium salts of FA alleviated the increase in haptoglobin and maintained fecal pH at more stable values during realimentation, regardless of the FA profile of the supplement.