Abstract
The objective of this study was to explore hepatic metabolic adaptations in mid-lactation Holstein cows managed under feeding strategies with different levels of pasture inclusion. Sixteen multiparous North American Holstein cows were assigned from calving to 180 days in milk (DIM) to either a fixed pasture strategy (FixP; n = 8), in which grazed pasture represented approximately one-third of dry matter intake and the remainder was provided as total mixed ration (TMR), or a maximum pasture strategy (MaxP; n = 8), in which pasture intake was maximized and cows were supplemented with concentrate and conserved forage according to pasture availability. At 180 ± 20 DIM, plasma samples and liver biopsies were collected for biochemical analyses, quantitative PCR, and targeted liver metabolomics by gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Milk yield, milk components, and body condition score did not differ between feeding strategies. Plasma urea nitrogen was greater in MaxP than FixP cows (6.64 vs. 4.96 mmol/L; P = 0.01). In liver, FixP cows showed greater abundance of metabolites related to carbohydrate metabolism, including phosphoenolpyruvate, fructose-6-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate, and sucrose, together with greater expression of genes related to the pentose phosphate pathway and fatty acid synthesis, including glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, ribose-5-phosphate isomerase A, acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha and fatty acid synthase (p ≤ 0.10). In contrast, MaxP cows showed greater abundance of metabolites associated with nitrogen metabolism, including citrulline, ornithine, glutamine, and creatinine. These results indicate that, during mid-lactation, greater pasture inclusion is associated with enhanced hepatic nitrogen metabolism, whereas partial replacement of pasture with TMR is associated with greater hepatic carbohydrate-related metabolism and fatty acid synthesis.
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Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank all the staff of the Dairy Unit of the Experimental Station “La Estanzuela” for their support in animal handling.
Funding
M. García-Roche was supported by CAP fellowship BDDX_2018_1#49004502. D. Talmón was supported by ANII fellowship POS_NAC_2017_1_141266. A. Cassina and C. Quijano were partially funded by grants of the Espacio Interdisciplinario – Centros, UDELAR 2015. A. Cassina was also supported by the grant CSIC grupos I + D 2014 (767). The project was funded by Comisión Sectorial de Investigación Científica (CSIC) of the Universidad de la República (UdelaR) CSIC I + D 2018 ID 103 to M. Carriquiry and C. Quijano as well as by Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación (ANII) INNOVAGRO 2018: FSA_1_2018_1_152220 to M. Carriquiry and A. Cassina. A. Mendoza received funding from the project PL_21_0_00 of INIA.
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M.G.R. contributed to the conceptualization and methodology of the study, performed the investigation, conducted formal data analysis, curated and visualized the data, and drafted the original manuscript. M.C. and A.M. contributed to the conceptualization and methodology, and were responsible for funding acquisition. C.Q. and A.C. contributed to the methodology and project supervision. A.L.A. and D.T. contributed to data acquisition and analysis. All authors reviewed and edited the manuscript, approved the submitted version, and agree to be accountable for their own contributions and to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the work.
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García-Roche, M., Astessiano, A.L., Talmón, D. et al. Hepatic metabolites indicate differences during late mid-lactation in Holstein cows with different levels of pasture inclusion.
Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-46842-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-46842-x
Keywords
- Metabolomics
- Gene expression
- Dairy cattle
Source: Ecology - nature.com
