Nutrition as a way to improve the dairy industry sustainability: a nutrigenomic approach

Abstract

Abstract Due to the high incidence of diseases and high culling rate, the peripartum is a period of significant stress, and its management sets the stage for the health, future productivity and reproductive performance of the herd, hence making it the perfect target to improve the industry sustainability as a whole. Looking at grazing systems, using a nutrigenomic approach, we determined that, contrary to historic industry standards, cows should be slightly underfed (~75% of their energy requirements) in the three weeks before parturition to prime their metabolism and ensure an optimal transition. Farmer will be able to preserve pasture area in a period of low forage production, reaching the spring (calving season) with abundant and high quality pasture. While looking at confined systems we tested the supplementation efficacy of immunomodulatory nutrients. The greater feed intake and greater milk production performances (both in milk quantity, and quality), coupled with lower incidence of disease, underscore a smoother transition to lactation when cows are supplemented with rumen-protected methionine. Moreover, methionine induced greater blood neutrophil phagocytosis and oxidative burst postpartum, and optimized the response to LPS, by mitigating the hyper-response of the immune cells. Supplementation of cows undergoing a mastitic challenge with a S. cerevisiae fermentation product improved indexes of mammary gland health and pathogen resistance. Pathway analysis highlighted physiological mechanisms enhancing local immune cell trafficking, antimicrobial activity, and inflammation control in the mammary gland of supplemented animals, compared to control cows that showed signs of tissue damage and loss of epithelial integrity. Looking at calf nutrition, enhancing nutrient intake in the pre-weaning period stimulates mammary development, increasing their future productivity potential. Nutritional improvement of animal health shows great potential as a rapidly applicable strategy to improve animal welfare, allowing them to express their full genetic potential.