Abstract
The use of recombinant technologies has been proposed as an alternative to improve livestock production systems for more than 25 years. However, its effects on animal health and performance have not been described. Thus, understanding the use of recombinant technology could help to improve public acceptance. The objective of this review is to describe the effects of recombinant technologies and proteins on the performance, health status, and rumen fermentation of meat and milk ruminants. The heterologous expression and purification of proteins mainly include eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems like Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris. Recombinant hormones have been commercially available since 1992, their effects remarkably improving both the reproductive and productive performance of animals. More recently the use of recombinant antigens and immune cells have proven to be effective in increasing meat and milk production in ruminant production systems. Likewise, the use of recombinant vaccines could help to reduce drug resistance developed by parasites and improve animal health. Recombinant enzymes and probiotics could help to enhance rumen fermentation and animal efficiency. Likewise, the use of recombinant technologies has been extended to the food industry as a strategy to enhance the organoleptic properties of animal-food sources, reduce food waste and mitigate the environmental impact. Despite these promising results, many of these recombinant technologies are still highly experimental. Thus, the feasibility of these technologies should be carefully addressed before implementation. Alternatively, the use of transgenic animals and the development of genome editing technology has expanded the frontiers in science and research. However, their use and implementation depend on complex policies and regulations that are still under development.
Highlights
The increasing demand for animal-source foods in developing countries will peak in 2050 and, milk and meat production must double to meet the needs of the population around the world [1]
Recent research demonstrated that a single dose of recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (roFSH) was effective in inducing superovulation in beef cows and sheep without secondary effects [26]. These results suggested that roFSH could be an alternative to increasing the pregnancy rate in ruminant
Zhang et al [78] produced a recombinant xylanase-swollenin chimeric enzyme using P. pastoris, the enzyme effectively increased hydrolysis of purified cellulose compared to regular xylanase. These results demonstrated that recombinant proteins could enhance rumen fermentation by increasing the hydrolysis of lignocellulose of forages
Summary
The increasing demand for animal-source foods in developing countries will peak in 2050 and, milk and meat production must double to meet the needs of the population around the world [1]. New technologies for genetic engineering and synthetic biology have been proposed as potential tools for improving living organisms and biological systems [4], including livestock animals. In this context, Processes 2020, 8, 1633; doi:10.3390/pr8121633 www.mdpi.com/journal/processes. Biotechnology has fundamentally changed both agricultural and food production recently, the concepts of genetic manipulation and recombinant technology have been discussed for more than 30 years [4,10,11]
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