Effects of dietary forage and calf starter on ruminal farmentation, microbiota and epithelial adaptation in calves during weaning transition

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26292156
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Veterinary medical science
• Research Institution: Iwate University
• Principal Investigator: Sato Shigeru 岩手大学, 農学部, 教授 (50455755)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 櫛引 史郎 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, その他部局等, 研究員 (30355218)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 潜在性ルーメンアシドーシス / 子牛 / ルーメン / 離乳 / エンドトキシン / 代謝・内分泌機能 / 免疫機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary forage and calf starter on the risks for subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA), immune ability, and metabolic capacity in weaning calves. The ruminal pH was significantly higher in the HAY group, and total VFA concentration was not significant between the two groups. The 454 pyrosequencing analysis revealed that the bacterial diversity was significantly higher, and recovered more rapidly from damages during weaning transition in the HAY group compared with the CON group. Ruminal bacterial communities of the two groups distinctly separate from each other after weaning in the PCoA analysis. Meanwhile, 212 DEGs (P<0.05, fold change >2) could be mapped to a known molecular function in the top upstream regulator and top network analyses by the IPA software, and the proliferation of the rumen epithelium cells was suggested to be regulated by growth factors (TGFB1) and signaling pathways (EGF and IGFBP).

Free Research Field

産業動物内科学