Microbiome and epithelial characterization of beef cattle under fetal programming

Abstract

This project will be to evaluate whether animals that were infected with fetal programming, when slaughtered have a different microbiome and ruminal epithelium than animals that were not introduced to fetal programming (PF). The study will be carried out in the experimental confinement of the Faculty of Zootechnics and Food Engineering of the University of São Paulo. The study treatments were not directly on the animals, but on their parents, which were: NP - Not Programmed, PP - Partial Programming and PC - Complete Programming. All treatments received mineral supplementation (0.03% live weight), but only PP and PC treatments received protein-energy supplementation equivalent to 0.3% of the average live weight per day during pregnancy. The PP group was submitted to this nutritional protocol in the final third of pregnancy, with the CP erected from the confirmation of pregnancy (30 days) until delivery. After birth, the animals receive the same treatments until slaughter. The experiment in the present study used biological material from 63 steers aged around 18 months, 21 for each treatment and was carried out during the fattening period of the animals. During the confinement period, feces were collected for DNA extraction in order to evaluate the microorganisms present there, during slaughter, part of the ruminal epithelium was collected and the lesion lesion index was performed so that it could be analyzed, in addition, in the Slaughter was collected ruminal content from all animals for DNA extraction and evaluation of microorganisms present and to be able to differentiate according to treatment. (AU)