Nutrigenomics Approaches to Fine-Tune Metabolism and Milk Production: Is This the Future of Ruminant Nutrition?

Massimo Bionaz

doi:10.4172/2329-888x.1000e107

Abstract

Ruminant nutrition is highly sophisticated. Immense research and application efforts have culminated in great successes. Today, we can satisfy with a relative high precision the nutritional needs of high producing dairy cows. Highly efficient genetic selection and improvement in overall management has resulted in a national average of ca. 10,000 kg of milk per year in USA

Highlights

Dairy cows with a so sophisticated genetic makeup able to deliver extremely high milk yield require a more refined management, including feeding strategies that increase the precision in satisfying all requirements and account for the dynamic physiological adaptation of the animal to lactation and reproduction
The concept that food components affects biological functions by interacting with transcriptome has revolutionized the field of nutrition in monogastrics [2], but has the potential to affect the field of ruminant nutrition, and, in the case of dairy cows, to affect efficiency and quality of milk production
The fine-tuning approach can be utilized to improve milk quality. To achieve this fine-tuning approach, research is needed to understand the molecular effects of nutritional molecules using systems biology approaches; i.e., systems nutrigenomics

Summary

Introduction

Nutrigenomics Approaches to Fine-Tune Metabolism and Milk Production: Is This the Future of Ruminant Nutrition? Dairy cows with a so sophisticated genetic makeup able to deliver extremely high milk yield require a more refined management, including feeding strategies that increase the precision in satisfying all requirements and account for the dynamic physiological adaptation of the animal to lactation and reproduction. As the genetic potential of dairy cows continues to improve, the advances in research for a more accurate feeding strategy are of utmost importance.

Results

Conclusion