Abstract
High-cost milk proteins necessitate cheaper, effective milk replacer alternatives, such as plant proteins. To examine plant protein-based milk replacer’s impact on growth performance, serum immune and antioxidant indicators, and liver transcriptome profiles in suckling calves. We assigned 28 newborn Holstein calves (41.60 ± 3.67 kg of body weight at birth) to milk (M) or milk replacer (MR) and starter diets pre-weaning (0–70 d of age) but with the same starter diet post-weaning (71–98 d of age). During the pre-weaning period, compared with the M group, MR group had significantly lower body weight, withers height, heart girth, average daily gain, feed efficiency, serum immunoglobulin (Ig) M concentration, superoxide dismutase concentration, and total antioxidant capacity; whereas they had significantly higher serum aspartate aminotransferase concentration. During the post-weaning period, MR group presented significantly higher average daily gain, alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, and malonaldehyde concentrations; whereas they had significantly lower serum IgA and IgM concentrations than the M group. Transcriptome analysis revealed 1, 120 and 293 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; MR vs. M group) in the calves from pre- and post-weaning periods, respectively. The DEGs related to xenobiotic and lipid metabolism and those related to energy metabolism, immune function, and mineral metabolism were up- and downregulated, respectively, during the pre-weaning period; during the post-weaning period, the DEGs related to osteoclast differentiation and metabolic pathways showed difference. In this study, compared with M group, MR group had the same growth performance during the overall experimental period; however, MR affected the hepatic metabolism, immune, and antioxidant function of calves. These observations can facilitate future studies on milk replacers.
Highlights
IntroductionSuccessful calf production, especially dairy calf management, is crucial for the profitability and sustainability of the dairy industry [1,2]
This study aimed to examine the mechanism by which plant protein-based milk replacers influence the growth of the calves and identify possible hub-genes and molecular pathways involved in the metabolism of plant protein-based milk replacers using RNA-Seq technologies to characterize the liver transcriptome of the calves and provide the latest insights into the research and development of milk replacers
During the pre-weaning period, the daily matter intake (DMI) of the liquid feed, ADG, and feed efficiency in the calves of the milk replacer (MR) group were significantly lower compared to the calves of the M group; the DMI of the starter feed in the calves of the MR group were significantly higher than those in the M group
Summary
Successful calf production, especially dairy calf management, is crucial for the profitability and sustainability of the dairy industry [1,2]. Due to the underdeveloped rumen, suckling calves cannot meet their entire nutritional requirements through digesting solid feed; their nutrition primarily relies on milk and milk replacers [3]. Rearing calves using milk replacers has become a common practice in dairy farming worldwide. In the United States, more than 85% of calves are fed milk replacers before weaning [1]. The use of milk replacers, besides increasing the quantity of fresh milk available for human consumption, improves the health of the calves by avoiding disease transmission from the dam to the calf, reduces the cost of feeding, and provides farmers the opportunity
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