Vegetable biocholine supplementation in pre- and postpartum Lacaune sheep: Effects on animal health, milk production and quality

Abstract In the final third of gestation and during early lactation, sheep require a large supply of nutrients to support fetal growth, mammary gland development, and milk production. Nevertheless, during this period, the pregnant ewe consumes less feed in the context of increased energy expenditure and hepatic overload. For these reasons, natural products have been used as supplements to minimize the negative effects of this transition phase. The objective of the present study was to determine whether supplementation with vegetable biocholine (VB) in pregnant and lactating sheep (transition period) would improve milk production and quality and overall health. The experiment lasted 65 days, corresponding to the final 20 days of pregnancy and the first 45 days of lactation. A total of 24 Lacaune ewes [2.30 ± 0.56 L of milk/day at 15 days postpartum (average production in previous lactation)] were separated into two homogeneous groups on day 20 prenatally: a control group (without supplementation) and a treated group in which the animals received 5 g of VB/animal/day. Blood samples were taken on days 20 and 10 before delivery, the day of delivery and on days 7, 15, 30 and 45 after delivery. Measurements of milk yield, as well as milk collections for composition analysis (fat, protein, lactose and total solids) were performed on the 15th, 30th and 45th postpartum days. The sheep that consumed VB in the diet had higher lactation persistence than did control (P  0.05). We observed greater activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in milk (P