Background
It is well known that feeding a high concentrate (HC) diet to lactating ruminants likely induces subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) and leads to a decrease in milk fat production. However, the effects of feeding a HC diet for long periods on milk fatty acids composition and the mechanism behind the decline of milk fat still remains poorly understood. The
Conclusions
Long-term feeding of a HC diet to lactating goats induced milk fat depression and FAs profile shift with lower MUFAs but higher SFAs. A general down-regulation of the gene expression involved in the milk fat production and a higher DNA methylation in the mammary gland may contribute to the decrease in milk fat production in goats fed a HC diet for long time periods.
Results
Milk production was increased by feeding the HC diet in the HS and HL groups compared with the LC diet (P < 0.01), while the percentage of milk fat was lower in the HL (P < 0.05) but not in the HS group. The total amount of saturated fatty acids (SFA) in the milk was not changed by feeding the HC diet, whereas the levels of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were markedly decreased in the HL group compared with the LC group (P < 0.05). Among these fatty acids, the concentrations of C15:0 (P < 0.01), C17:0 (P < 0.01), C17:1 (P < 0.01), C18:1n-9c (P < 0.05), C18:3n-3r (P < 0.01) and C20:0 (P < 0.01) were markedly lower in the HL group, and the concentrations of C20:0 (P < 0.05) and C18:3n-3r (P < 0.01) were lower in the HS group compared with the LC group. However, the concentrations of C18:2n-6c (P < 0.05) and C20:4n-6 (P < 0.05) in the milk fat were higher in the HS group. Real-time PCR results showed that the mRNA expression of the genes involved in milk fat production in the mammary gland was generally decreased in the HL and HS groups compared with the LC group. Among these genes, ACSL1, ACSS1 & 2, ACACA, FAS, SCD, FADS2, and SREBP1 were down-regulated in the mammary gland of the HL group (P < 0.05), and the expressions of ACSS2, ACACA, and FADS2 mRNA were markedly decreased in the HS goats compared with the LC group (P < 0.05). In contrast to the gene expression, the level of DNA methylation in the promoter regions of the ACACA and SCD genes was increased in the HL group compared with the LC group (P < 0.05). The levels of ACSL1 protein expression and FAS enzyme activity were also decreased in the mammary gland of the HL compared with the LC group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Long-term feeding of a HC diet to lactating goats induced milk fat depression and FAs profile shift with lower MUFAs but higher SFAs. A general down-regulation of the gene expression involved in the milk fat production and a higher DNA methylation in the mammary gland may contribute to the decrease in milk fat production in goats fed a HC diet for long time periods.