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Serum concentrations of folic acid and cobalamin and energy metabolism of ewes as a function of the energy density of the diet, peripartum period, and pregnancy toxemia

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the serum levels of folic acid, cobalamin, and indicators of energy metabolism during the peripartum period of ewes submitted to different diets and with or without pregnancy toxemia. Forty Santa Inês ewes were divided into three groups, a group of 20 animals fed only roughage-diet with low energy density (G1), a group of 10 ewes submitted to diet containing roughage and concentrate-diet with high energy density (G2), and a group of 10 ewes with diagnosis of pregnancy toxemia (PT) (G3). In the ewes of groups G1 and G2, blood samples were collected -30, -15, -7 days pre-partum, on the day of partum, and 7, 15, and 30 days postpartum; blood samples from G3 animals were collected during the veterinary clinic care. Significant variations were observed in the plasma concentration of glucose and serum folic acid, cobalamin, fructosamine, NEFA, and β-hydroxybutyrate in the groups fed diets with different energy levels, with and without PT (P < 0.05). A positive correlation of folic acid and cobalamin was observed with plasma glucose and serum NEFA concentrations, in addition to negative correlation of glucose with NEFA and β-hydroxybutyrate and positive correlation between the latter biomarkers of energy metabolism. The ewes diagnosed with PT showed higher levels of folic acid, NEFA, and β-hydroxybutyrate (P < 0.05). Ewes fed diet containing roughage and concentrate present higher serum levels of folic acid, cobalamin, and glucose, in the pre-partum period and in the lactation period. The results obtained contribute to better understanding of the application of blood concentration tests for folic acid and cobalamin in the energy metabolism and in PT in ewes.

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Funding

This research was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and by Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco (FACEPE)—Recife, PE, Brazil.

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  1. Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Dom Manuel de Medeiros Street, S/N, Dois Irmãos, Recife, PE, 52171-900, Brazil

    Pierre Castro Soares, Cleyton Charles Dantas Carvalho, Flávio Carneiro da Cunha Mergulhão, Daniel Nunes de Araújo Gonçalves & Emanuel Felipe de Oliveira Filho

  2. Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Dom Manuel de Medeiros Street, S/N, Dois Irmãos, Recife, PE, 52171-900, Brazil

    Tomás Guilherme Pereira da Silva

  3. Cattle Clinic, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Campus Garanhuns, Avenue Bom Pastor, Boa Vista, Garanhuns, PE, 55292-270, Brazil

    Carla Lopes de Mendonça & José Augusto Bastos Afonso

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Contributions

SOARES, P.C.: conceptualization, methodology, supervision, data curation, funding acquisition, and writing—original draft preparation; CARVALHO, C.C.D.: investigation, methodology, supervision, and data curation; MERGULHÃO, F.C.C.: investigation, methodology, and data curation; SILVA, T.G.P.: formal analysis and writing—original draft preparation; GONÇALVES, D.N.A.: investigation, methodology, and data curation; OLIVEIRA FILHO, E.F.: investigation, methodology, and data curation; MENDONÇA, C.L.: conceptualization, methodology, supervision, and data curation; AFONSO, J.A.B.: conceptualization, methodology, supervision, and data curation. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Tomás Guilherme Pereira da Silva.

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Soares, P.C., Carvalho, C.C.D., da Cunha Mergulhão, F.C. et al. Serum concentrations of folic acid and cobalamin and energy metabolism of ewes as a function of the energy density of the diet, peripartum period, and pregnancy toxemia. Trop Anim Health Prod 55, 10 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-022-03423-0

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