Pub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-07-30DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2025-0778
Hongqing Hu , Hadi Atashi , Sébastien Franceschini , Pauline Lemal , Clément Grelet , Yansen Chen , Katrien Wijnrocx , Hélène Soyeurt , Nicolas Gengler
This study aimed to compare the genetic architectures of logit-transformed predicted negative energy balance (LPNEB) and a novel logit-transformed energy deficiency score (LEDS) as 2 mid-infrared–derived proxies of negative energy balance in early-lactation dairy cows. A total of 30,634 records from 25,287 first-parity Holstein cows across 508 herds distributed in Walloon region of Belgium were analyzed. Genotypic data of 566,170 SNPs were available for 3,757 animals. Single-step GWAS, combined with a 50-SNP sliding window approach, was employed to explore the genetic architectures of LPNEB and LEDS. The top 10 genomic regions for LPNEB and LEDS were identified across multiple chromosomes, with 3 shared regions (BTA 1, 5, and 16). Despite these overlaps, each trait exhibited unique loci, supporting distinct genetic architectures. Positional candidate gene analyses identified 17 genes for LPNEB and 10 for LEDS, with 6 being in common. Gene Ontology enrichment analyses were then performed to explore their biological functions, although LPNEB was primarily associated with energy metabolism regulation and metabolic adaptation, whereas LEDS integrated neuronal signaling into energy homeostasis. The QTL enrichment highlighted significant associations with fertility and SCS, reinforcing a genetic basis for energy balance. These findings improve our understanding of the genetic background of LPNEB and LEDS, thereby providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying energy balance in dairy cattle.
{"title":"Using single-step genome-wide association analyses to compare predicted negative energy balance and a novel energy deficiency score in early-lactation Holstein cows","authors":"Hongqing Hu , Hadi Atashi , Sébastien Franceschini , Pauline Lemal , Clément Grelet , Yansen Chen , Katrien Wijnrocx , Hélène Soyeurt , Nicolas Gengler","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0778","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0778","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to compare the genetic architectures of logit-transformed predicted negative energy balance (LPNEB) and a novel logit-transformed energy deficiency score (LEDS) as 2 mid-infrared–derived proxies of negative energy balance in early-lactation dairy cows. A total of 30,634 records from 25,287 first-parity Holstein cows across 508 herds distributed in Walloon region of Belgium were analyzed. Genotypic data of 566,170 SNPs were available for 3,757 animals. Single-step GWAS, combined with a 50-SNP sliding window approach, was employed to explore the genetic architectures of LPNEB and LEDS. The top 10 genomic regions for LPNEB and LEDS were identified across multiple chromosomes, with 3 shared regions (BTA 1, 5, and 16). Despite these overlaps, each trait exhibited unique loci, supporting distinct genetic architectures. Positional candidate gene analyses identified 17 genes for LPNEB and 10 for LEDS, with 6 being in common. Gene Ontology enrichment analyses were then performed to explore their biological functions, although LPNEB was primarily associated with energy metabolism regulation and metabolic adaptation, whereas LEDS integrated neuronal signaling into energy homeostasis. The QTL enrichment highlighted significant associations with fertility and SCS, reinforcing a genetic basis for energy balance. These findings improve our understanding of the genetic background of LPNEB and LEDS, thereby providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying energy balance in dairy cattle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 792-796"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-09-04DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2025-0768
E.M. Shangraw, M.C. Lucy, T.B. McFadden
Noninvasive sampling of milk fat for isolation of RNA is an alternative technique to assess the mammary transcriptome. However, contamination of RNA from milk fat with nonmammary sources of RNA may complicate the interpretation of results. We measured transcript abundance of 8 genes in RNA from milk fat, milk somatic cells, mammary tissue, and blood leukocytes to determine how the transcript abundance of selected genes compares between RNA sources. Samples from 8 healthy cows were harvested immediately after slaughter. Blood was collected during exsanguination. Milk and mammary tissue were collected from the same mammary gland. Mammary tissue was frozen immediately, and fluids were centrifuged to collect the buffy coat from blood, and the fat layer and cell pellet from milk. The RNA isolated from all tissue sources was prepared for reverse-transcription quantitative PCR. Relative transcript abundance for each gene was determined by normalizing the abundance of the target gene against the abundance of reference genes (RPL4 and RPS23). Differences in relative transcript abundance were determined per gene by Friedman tests and per subsets of genes by correlations. For the selected 8 genes, correlations were modest and tended to show positive relationships between RNA from milk fat, milk somatic cells, and mammary tissue, depending on the function of the gene. The 4 milk-related genes encoding milk proteins (CSN2, LALBA) and enzymes involved in fat metabolism (FASN, LPIN1) were most highly expressed in RNA isolated from milk fat and mammary tissue. The remaining 4 genes (ITGB2, CD68, NFKBIA, and HK1) were related to immune function and were mainly expressed in RNA from milk somatic cells, with fewer transcripts from milk fat and few to no transcripts from mammary tissue or blood leukocytes. Relative transcript abundance in RNA from milk fat was comparable to transcript abundance in RNA from mammary tissue for milk-related genes, but for immune-related genes, it was more similar to RNA from milk somatic cells than from mammary tissue or blood leukocytes. Thus, transcript abundance of the assessed genes was uniquely controlled between each of the 4 tissue sources. Using RNA from milk fat may be beneficial for studies investigating lactational and immunological responses of the mammary gland based on its similar transcript abundance patterns compared with RNA from both mammary tissue and milk somatic cells.
{"title":"Comparison of 4 different RNA sources from lactating dairy cows to assess the mammary transcript abundance","authors":"E.M. Shangraw, M.C. Lucy, T.B. McFadden","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0768","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0768","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Noninvasive sampling of milk fat for isolation of RNA is an alternative technique to assess the mammary transcriptome. However, contamination of RNA from milk fat with nonmammary sources of RNA may complicate the interpretation of results. We measured transcript abundance of 8 genes in RNA from milk fat, milk somatic cells, mammary tissue, and blood leukocytes to determine how the transcript abundance of selected genes compares between RNA sources. Samples from 8 healthy cows were harvested immediately after slaughter. Blood was collected during exsanguination. Milk and mammary tissue were collected from the same mammary gland. Mammary tissue was frozen immediately, and fluids were centrifuged to collect the buffy coat from blood, and the fat layer and cell pellet from milk. The RNA isolated from all tissue sources was prepared for reverse-transcription quantitative PCR. Relative transcript abundance for each gene was determined by normalizing the abundance of the target gene against the abundance of reference genes (<em>RPL4</em> and <em>RPS23</em>). Differences in relative transcript abundance were determined per gene by Friedman tests and per subsets of genes by correlations. For the selected 8 genes, correlations were modest and tended to show positive relationships between RNA from milk fat, milk somatic cells, and mammary tissue, depending on the function of the gene. The 4 milk-related genes encoding milk proteins (<em>CSN2</em>, <em>LALBA</em>) and enzymes involved in fat metabolism (<em>FASN</em>, <em>LPIN1</em>) were most highly expressed in RNA isolated from milk fat and mammary tissue. The remaining 4 genes (<em>ITGB2</em>, <em>CD68</em>, <em>NFKBIA</em>, and <em>HK1</em>) were related to immune function and were mainly expressed in RNA from milk somatic cells, with fewer transcripts from milk fat and few to no transcripts from mammary tissue or blood leukocytes. Relative transcript abundance in RNA from milk fat was comparable to transcript abundance in RNA from mammary tissue for milk-related genes, but for immune-related genes, it was more similar to RNA from milk somatic cells than from mammary tissue or blood leukocytes. Thus, transcript abundance of the assessed genes was uniquely controlled between each of the 4 tissue sources. Using RNA from milk fat may be beneficial for studies investigating lactational and immunological responses of the mammary gland based on its similar transcript abundance patterns compared with RNA from both mammary tissue and milk somatic cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 822-826"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Feed efficiency (FE) is an indicator of overall farm nutritional efficiency, helping farmers to identify any critical points in nutritional management. Particularly, FE is a measure of the ability of animals to convert feed into milk and it can be influenced by genetic, health, management, and nutritional factors. Higher FE allows results in reduced feed and maintenance costs and contributes to improved economic and environmental efficiency of dairy farms. This study aimed to develop and compare 2 predictive models for estimating FE in dairy cattle using data derived from the TMR: one based on its chemical composition and the other on near-infrared (NIR) spectral data. A total of 144 TMR samples were collected from farms in Po Valley from 2021 to 2024 and analyzed with an Fourier-transform NIR spectrometer. The spectral data were processed with chemometric techniques, including least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, in order to build a predictive model of FE. The model based on chemical composition showed strong calibration performance (R2 = 0.80, SE of cross-validation [SECV] = 0.13) but decreased in external validation (R2 = 0.64, SE of prediction [SEP] = 0.11), indicating the presence of systematic bias. Conversely, the NIR-based model maintained more stable performance between calibration (R2 = 0.73, SECV = 0.16) and external validation (R2 = 0.70, SEP = 0.09), with lower slope distortion and offset. The results suggest that although chemical data offer high accuracy in controlled conditions, the NIR model may be more robust and generalizable for practical, on-farm prediction of FE, offering potential decision support. However, further improvements in calibration are needed to reduce systematic errors and increase the accuracy of the model.
{"title":"Application of multivariate techniques for estimating herd feed efficiency using chemical and near-infrared calibration models in dairy cattle","authors":"Valentina Novara , Mattia Masseroni , Maddalena Canossa , Antonio Gallo","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0829","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0829","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Feed efficiency (FE) is an indicator of overall farm nutritional efficiency, helping farmers to identify any critical points in nutritional management. Particularly, FE is a measure of the ability of animals to convert feed into milk and it can be influenced by genetic, health, management, and nutritional factors. Higher FE allows results in reduced feed and maintenance costs and contributes to improved economic and environmental efficiency of dairy farms. This study aimed to develop and compare 2 predictive models for estimating FE in dairy cattle using data derived from the TMR: one based on its chemical composition and the other on near-infrared (NIR) spectral data. A total of 144 TMR samples were collected from farms in Po Valley from 2021 to 2024 and analyzed with an Fourier-transform NIR spectrometer. The spectral data were processed with chemometric techniques, including least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, in order to build a predictive model of FE. The model based on chemical composition showed strong calibration performance (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.80, SE of cross-validation [SECV] = 0.13) but decreased in external validation (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.64, SE of prediction [SEP] = 0.11), indicating the presence of systematic bias. Conversely, the NIR-based model maintained more stable performance between calibration (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.73, SECV = 0.16) and external validation (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.70, SEP = 0.09), with lower slope distortion and offset. The results suggest that although chemical data offer high accuracy in controlled conditions, the NIR model may be more robust and generalizable for practical, on-farm prediction of FE, offering potential decision support. However, further improvements in calibration are needed to reduce systematic errors and increase the accuracy of the model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 781-785"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-09-10DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2025-0813
M. Arif , B.A. Harsch , C. Matamoros , I.J. Salfer , R. Shepardson , K.J. Harvatine
Fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFA) are a novel class of bioactive lipids with demonstrated antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory properties in rodent models and humans but have not been investigated in cows. The major FAHFA are synthesized from palmitic (PA), stearic (SA), and oleic acid. The PA can be esterified to hydroxy fatty acids, such as hydroxy PA or hydroxy SA, or SA can be esterified to hydroxy SA, forming PAHPA, PAHSA, or SAHSA, respectively. The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of increasing intake of PA, SA, or both PA and SA on nonesterified FAHFA in the plasma and milk of dairy cows. We hypothesized that increasing PA and SA in the diet would increase PA and SA containing FAHFA in plasma and milk. Samples were analyzed from a previous experiment that used 12 multiparous Holstein cows in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Treatments were a no-fat supplement control (CON) and fat supplements that were high in PA (91% C16:0), high in SA (92.6% C18:0), or contained a blend of PA and SA (PA/SA; 45.3% C16:0 and 49.1% C18:0) at 1.95% of diet DM. The concentrations of nonesterified FAHFA in plasma and milk fat were quantified using liquid chromatography tandem MS, and data were analyzed using a mixed model that included treatment as a fixed effect and cow and period as random effects. The relationship between plasma FAHFA and milk production variables were analyzed using regression analysis. Five nonesterified FAHFA (9-PAHPA, 5-PAHSA, 9-PAHSA, 10-PAHSA, and 9-SAHSA) were quantified in plasma and all were affected by treatment. Plasma concentration of 9-PAHPA was increased 2.9-fold by PA compared with CON, whereas 9-SAHSA was increased 2.7-fold by SA compared with CON. The concentrations of 5-PAHSA, 9-PAHSA, and 10-PAHSA were highest with PA/SA. In milk, 8 nonesterified FAHFA were quantified, and only 12-PAHSA was increased by SA and 12-PAHPA tended to be increased by PA. Plasma 9-PAHPA was positively associated with milk fat yield and mixed FA and negatively associated with milk preformed FA, de novo FA, and odd- and branched-chain fatty acids, whereas plasma 9-SAHSA was positively associated with milk preformed FA. Overall, FA supplements affected nonesterified FAHFA concentration in plasma, demonstrating a direct effect of dietary FA on this emerging regulator of metabolism. There were limited effects of FA supplements on nonesterified FAHFA in milk fat. Functional roles for these lipids require further exploration.
{"title":"The effects of saturated fatty acid supplements on plasma and milk concentration of fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids in dairy cows","authors":"M. Arif , B.A. Harsch , C. Matamoros , I.J. Salfer , R. Shepardson , K.J. Harvatine","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0813","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0813","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFA) are a novel class of bioactive lipids with demonstrated antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory properties in rodent models and humans but have not been investigated in cows. The major FAHFA are synthesized from palmitic (PA), stearic (SA), and oleic acid. The PA can be esterified to hydroxy fatty acids, such as hydroxy PA or hydroxy SA, or SA can be esterified to hydroxy SA, forming PAHPA, PAHSA, or SAHSA, respectively. The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of increasing intake of PA, SA, or both PA and SA on nonesterified FAHFA in the plasma and milk of dairy cows. We hypothesized that increasing PA and SA in the diet would increase PA and SA containing FAHFA in plasma and milk. Samples were analyzed from a previous experiment that used 12 multiparous Holstein cows in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Treatments were a no-fat supplement control (CON) and fat supplements that were high in PA (91% C16:0), high in SA (92.6% C18:0), or contained a blend of PA and SA (PA/SA; 45.3% C16:0 and 49.1% C18:0) at 1.95% of diet DM. The concentrations of nonesterified FAHFA in plasma and milk fat were quantified using liquid chromatography tandem MS, and data were analyzed using a mixed model that included treatment as a fixed effect and cow and period as random effects. The relationship between plasma FAHFA and milk production variables were analyzed using regression analysis. Five nonesterified FAHFA (9-PAHPA, 5-PAHSA, 9-PAHSA, 10-PAHSA, and 9-SAHSA) were quantified in plasma and all were affected by treatment. Plasma concentration of 9-PAHPA was increased 2.9-fold by PA compared with CON, whereas 9-SAHSA was increased 2.7-fold by SA compared with CON. The concentrations of 5-PAHSA, 9-PAHSA, and 10-PAHSA were highest with PA/SA. In milk, 8 nonesterified FAHFA were quantified, and only 12-PAHSA was increased by SA and 12-PAHPA tended to be increased by PA. Plasma 9-PAHPA was positively associated with milk fat yield and mixed FA and negatively associated with milk preformed FA, de novo FA, and odd- and branched-chain fatty acids, whereas plasma 9-SAHSA was positively associated with milk preformed FA. Overall, FA supplements affected nonesterified FAHFA concentration in plasma, demonstrating a direct effect of dietary FA on this emerging regulator of metabolism. There were limited effects of FA supplements on nonesterified FAHFA in milk fat. Functional roles for these lipids require further exploration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 766-772"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-09-10DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2025-0812
Y.A. Adeniji, C. Matamoros , R.E. Walker , K.J. Harvatine
Altered rumen biohydrogenation of UFA is central to the current understanding of diet-induced milk fat depression (MFD) in dairy cows, and associations with numerous trans fatty acids (FA) have been characterized. Although some specific CLA isomers have been demonstrated to be antilipogenic, they fail to account for the full decrease in milk fat synthesis during diet-induced MFD, indicating that other undiscovered bioactive causative actors likely exist. Microbial FA metabolism also results in synthesis of oxy and hydroxy FA and the objective of the current study was to quantify changes in these during diet-induced MFD. We hypothesized that 10-oxo-stearic and 10-hydroxy-stearic acid (10-O-18:0 and 10-OH-18:0) would be increased in milk fat during diet-induced MFD. Milk fat samples from 2 experiments that fed diets resulting in MFD were analyzed. In the first experiment (n = 24), diet-induced MFD increased milk fat concentration of 10-O-18:0 from 0.04% to 0.14% of FA and 10-OH-18:0 from 0.07% to 0.21% of FA, whereas milk fat concentration was decreased 43% and milk fat trans-10 18:1 increased from 0.04% to 12.0% of FA. A second experiment that resulted in varying degrees of MFD between the cows was combined to create a dataset for regression analysis (n = 96; trans-10 18:1 ranged from 0.27% to 6.69% of FA). In this dataset, 10-O-18:0 and 10-OH-18:0 were quadratically related to trans-10 18:1 and ratio of trans-10 18:1 to trans-11 18:1 in milk fat but not trans-11 18:1. These results indicate an association of the oxygenated FA 10-O-18:0 and 10-OH-18:0 with diet-induced MFD. Their causative roles in the physiology of MFD warrant further investigation.
{"title":"Relationship between oxygenated fatty acid and milk fat concentration during diet-induced milk fat depression in dairy cows","authors":"Y.A. Adeniji, C. Matamoros , R.E. Walker , K.J. Harvatine","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0812","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0812","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Altered rumen biohydrogenation of UFA is central to the current understanding of diet-induced milk fat depression (MFD) in dairy cows, and associations with numerous <em>trans</em> fatty acids (FA) have been characterized. Although some specific CLA isomers have been demonstrated to be antilipogenic, they fail to account for the full decrease in milk fat synthesis during diet-induced MFD, indicating that other undiscovered bioactive causative actors likely exist. Microbial FA metabolism also results in synthesis of oxy and hydroxy FA and the objective of the current study was to quantify changes in these during diet-induced MFD. We hypothesized that 10-oxo-stearic and 10-hydroxy-stearic acid (10-O-18:0 and 10-OH-18:0) would be increased in milk fat during diet-induced MFD. Milk fat samples from 2 experiments that fed diets resulting in MFD were analyzed. In the first experiment (n = 24), diet-induced MFD increased milk fat concentration of 10-O-18:0 from 0.04% to 0.14% of FA and 10-OH-18:0 from 0.07% to 0.21% of FA, whereas milk fat concentration was decreased 43% and milk fat <em>trans-</em>10 18:1 increased from 0.04% to 12.0% of FA. A second experiment that resulted in varying degrees of MFD between the cows was combined to create a dataset for regression analysis (n = 96; <em>trans-</em>10 18:1 ranged from 0.27% to 6.69% of FA). In this dataset, 10-O-18:0 and 10-OH-18:0 were quadratically related to <em>trans-</em>10 18:1 and ratio of <em>trans</em>-10 18:1 to <em>trans-</em>11 18:1 in milk fat but not <em>trans-</em>11 18:1. These results indicate an association of the oxygenated FA 10-O-18:0 and 10-OH-18:0 with diet-induced MFD. Their causative roles in the physiology of MFD warrant further investigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 761-765"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-09-10DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2025-0796
Xiaoxuan Shi, Katerina Roth, Abigail B. Snyder
Fungal spoilage in cultured dairy products causes consumer dissatisfaction, food waste, and financial losses. This study aimed to identify and characterize fungi responsible for spoilage in cultured dairy products by amplifying the ITS1–5.8S–ITS2 ribosomal DNA (rDNA) region. A total of 200 isolates collected from 154 spoiled dairy products, including yogurt, cottage cheese, and sour cream. The most common genera identified were Penicillium (46.5% of isolates), Mucor (15% of isolates), and Yarrowia (12.5% of isolates). Penicillium remained the most frequently isolated fungal genus regardless of the inclusion of preservatives in the dairy products. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences from this collection and ITS sequences from an additional 483 fungal isolates from cultured dairy downloaded from FoodMicrobeTracker were aligned to assess sequence diversity in their 5.8S rRNA regions. All isolates in more than half (9/15) of the genera did not differ by an SNP in their highly conserved 5.8S region. However, the aligned 5.8S rDNA region from 182 Penicillium isolates revealed 5 unique SNPs, and those from 37 Mucor isolates had 11 SNP differences. The most sequence diversity was observed in Candida with 36 SNPs among 78 aligned 5.8S rDNA regions, demonstrating that variation within this region varies depending on the genus.
{"title":"The predominance of Penicillium, Mucor, and Yarrowia among spoilage fungi in cultured dairy products produced by 3 manufacturers, as revealed by amplicon sequencing","authors":"Xiaoxuan Shi, Katerina Roth, Abigail B. Snyder","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0796","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0796","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fungal spoilage in cultured dairy products causes consumer dissatisfaction, food waste, and financial losses. This study aimed to identify and characterize fungi responsible for spoilage in cultured dairy products by amplifying the ITS1–5.8S–ITS2 ribosomal DNA (rDNA) region. A total of 200 isolates collected from 154 spoiled dairy products, including yogurt, cottage cheese, and sour cream. The most common genera identified were <em>Penicillium</em> (46.5% of isolates), <em>Mucor</em> (15% of isolates), and <em>Yarrowia</em> (12.5% of isolates). <em>Penicillium</em> remained the most frequently isolated fungal genus regardless of the inclusion of preservatives in the dairy products. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences from this collection and ITS sequences from an additional 483 fungal isolates from cultured dairy downloaded from FoodMicrobeTracker were aligned to assess sequence diversity in their 5.8S rRNA regions. All isolates in more than half (9/15) of the genera did not differ by an SNP in their highly conserved 5.8S region. However, the aligned 5.8S rDNA region from 182 <em>Penicillium</em> isolates revealed 5 unique SNPs, and those from 37 <em>Mucor</em> isolates had 11 SNP differences. The most sequence diversity was observed in <em>Candida</em> with 36 SNPs among 78 aligned 5.8S rDNA regions, demonstrating that variation within this region varies depending on the genus.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 727-732"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-09-17DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2025-0849
Alicia Rihn , Nama Raj Bhusal , Caitlin Zaring Weir , Elizabeth Eckelkamp
The highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (HPAI) has recently been identified in the dairy industry in the United States. Research has addressed consumer behavior in the context of HPAI among poultry products and birds, but fewer studies have addressed consumer awareness in the dairy context. Given recent HPAI infections in dairy herds and viral loads in fluid milk, a better understanding of consumer awareness and concern could aid in future efforts to inform the public. An online survey of 9 states in the southeastern US was conducted to elicit consumer awareness of HPAI and concern in the context of dairy products. Whether HPAI influenced purchasing behavior of dairy products was also assessed. A total of 5,290 respondents were surveyed with 14.7% (n = 775) having heard of HPAI in the dairy industry. Binary and ordered probit models were used to analyze the data. People who had young children (<12 yr old), farm backgrounds, higher incomes, or lived in metropolitan areas, suburbs, or small towns were more likely to be aware of HPAI than individuals without these attributes. Females were less likely to be aware relative to other genders. Concern over HPAI in dairy products was heightened for participants with young children, with farm backgrounds, or those who live in metropolitan areas (relative to rural areas). Among aware participants, females exhibited a decreased dairy product purchase likelihood in the context of HPAI.
{"title":"Sociodemographic characteristics that impact southeastern US consumers' awareness and concern about highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy products","authors":"Alicia Rihn , Nama Raj Bhusal , Caitlin Zaring Weir , Elizabeth Eckelkamp","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0849","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0849","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (HPAI) has recently been identified in the dairy industry in the United States. Research has addressed consumer behavior in the context of HPAI among poultry products and birds, but fewer studies have addressed consumer awareness in the dairy context. Given recent HPAI infections in dairy herds and viral loads in fluid milk, a better understanding of consumer awareness and concern could aid in future efforts to inform the public. An online survey of 9 states in the southeastern US was conducted to elicit consumer awareness of HPAI and concern in the context of dairy products. Whether HPAI influenced purchasing behavior of dairy products was also assessed. A total of 5,290 respondents were surveyed with 14.7% (n = 775) having heard of HPAI in the dairy industry. Binary and ordered probit models were used to analyze the data. People who had young children (<12 yr old), farm backgrounds, higher incomes, or lived in metropolitan areas, suburbs, or small towns were more likely to be aware of HPAI than individuals without these attributes. Females were less likely to be aware relative to other genders. Concern over HPAI in dairy products was heightened for participants with young children, with farm backgrounds, or those who live in metropolitan areas (relative to rural areas). Among aware participants, females exhibited a decreased dairy product purchase likelihood in the context of HPAI.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 738-743"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The objectives of this study were to (1) characterize the nonenzymatic antioxidant activity of individual bovine milk samples using 2 assays: ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and (2) investigate the effects of animal (DIM, parity, and daily milk yield [DMY; kg/d]) and environmental factors (temperature-humidity index [THI], season, ventilation, feeding, and altitude) on these traits. Milk samples were collected once during evening milking from 1,060 Brown Swiss cows across 53 herds in Northern Italy. Antioxidant activity was expressed as micromolar ascorbic acid equivalents per milliliter of milk for the FRAP and as a percentage of DPPH inhibition. Both traits in milk were influenced by a range of animal-related and environmental factors, with varying degrees of impact. The FRAP values were highest in primiparous cows and decreased with increasing parity. In contrast, DPPH inhibition was greatest in tertiparous cows, followed by primiparous and secondiparous cows. Days in milk had a significant effect on DPPH, which declined as lactation progressed. A positive association was observed between DMY and FRAP values, with FRAP increasing up to approximately 25 kg/d, beyond which it plateaued. Among the environmental factors, the lowest FRAP values were observed in summer and in herds fed a dry TMR. Furthermore, milk from herds equipped with ventilation systems showed slightly higher DPPH inhibition compared with those without such systems. These findings offer valuable insights into factors affecting antioxidant properties in bovine milk and underscore the need for further research into other nonenzymatic antioxidants and their concentrations. Future studies should investigate the genetic basis of milk antioxidant properties, examine their relationship with milk composition, and evaluate the consequences for animal health and product quality.
{"title":"Impact of animal and herd factors on the nonenzymatic antioxidant potential in milk from individual Brown Swiss cows","authors":"Irene Tedeschi , Giorgia Stocco , Michela Ablondi , Andrea Summer , Georgios Anagnostou , Alexandros Mavrommatis , Eleni Tsiplakou , Massimo Malacarne , Claudio Cipolat-Gotet","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0863","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0863","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objectives of this study were to (1) characterize the nonenzymatic antioxidant activity of individual bovine milk samples using 2 assays: ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and (2) investigate the effects of animal (DIM, parity, and daily milk yield [DMY; kg/d]) and environmental factors (temperature-humidity index [THI], season, ventilation, feeding, and altitude) on these traits. Milk samples were collected once during evening milking from 1,060 Brown Swiss cows across 53 herds in Northern Italy. Antioxidant activity was expressed as micromolar ascorbic acid equivalents per milliliter of milk for the FRAP and as a percentage of DPPH inhibition. Both traits in milk were influenced by a range of animal-related and environmental factors, with varying degrees of impact. The FRAP values were highest in primiparous cows and decreased with increasing parity. In contrast, DPPH inhibition was greatest in tertiparous cows, followed by primiparous and secondiparous cows. Days in milk had a significant effect on DPPH, which declined as lactation progressed. A positive association was observed between DMY and FRAP values, with FRAP increasing up to approximately 25 kg/d, beyond which it plateaued. Among the environmental factors, the lowest FRAP values were observed in summer and in herds fed a dry TMR. Furthermore, milk from herds equipped with ventilation systems showed slightly higher DPPH inhibition compared with those without such systems. These findings offer valuable insights into factors affecting antioxidant properties in bovine milk and underscore the need for further research into other nonenzymatic antioxidants and their concentrations. Future studies should investigate the genetic basis of milk antioxidant properties, examine their relationship with milk composition, and evaluate the consequences for animal health and product quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 744-749"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<div><div>If animals cannot dissipate accumulated heat from metabolism and the environment, heat stress (HS) occurs. Temperature-humidity index (THI) thresholds for peripubertal dairy heifers are not well defined, despite their known susceptibility to HS. Establishing THI thresholds in heifers housed in heat-abated freestall barns and on pasture will provide practical management metrics and inform future HS research. This study included 2 experiments in a humid continental climate: one under natural seasonal conditions and another in climate-controlled chambers. The objectives were to (1) establish THI thresholds for HS in peripubertal dairy heifers under different housing types, (2) develop prediction equations for respiration rate (RR) and body temperature in heifers using THI as the predictor variable, and (3) determine if a climate-controlled environment could result in similar biological responses and THI breakpoints as observed in peripubertal heifers housed in summer pasture. In the first experiment, RR, vaginal body temperature, and THI were recorded twice daily for a total of 14 d in 12 peripubertal heifers (291 ± 19 kg BW, 281 ± 6 d of age; mean ± SD). Each heifer experienced 7 d of housing in a naturally ventilated barn with fans above the stalls and 7 d of outdoor pasture housing, in a crossover fashion. Simple linear and segmented regression were used to develop prediction models for RR and body temperature, using THI as the predictor variable. Simple linear regression best modeled RR and body temperature response to THI in heifers housed in a barn with fans above the freestalls when THI ranged from 64 to 82. In contrast, a segmented regression with a THI threshold of ∼74 best reflected RR and body temperature response to THI for pasture-housed heifers when THI ranged from 62 to 88. After THI reached the threshold of 74 without remediation, signs of HS escalated abruptly. A second experiment was conducted to determine if housing in a climate-controlled chamber could result in similar biological responses and THI breakpoints as observed in heifers housed in summer pasture. For this, RR and body temperature relative to observed THI were monitored twice daily in a subset of 5 heifers from experiment 1 (340 ± 16 kg BW; mean ± SD) that were housed in a climate-controlled chamber. In this setting, THI was increased incrementally every 24 h over a 5-d period, from ∼65 to 80. Similar to pasture housing, RR and body temperature abruptly increased with each unit increase in THI beginning at THI of 74 for RR and 76 for body temperature. Collectively, these experiments confirm that peripubertal dairy heifers exhibit classic signs of HS, with RR and body temperature increasing sharply near THI 74 in both pasture and climate-controlled environments. Heifers housed in environments with heat abatement features do not respond to increased THI in the same manner; biological responses to increased THI remain linear. Regardless of housing environment, h
{"title":"Detecting heat stress: Examination of temperature-humidity index thresholds for respiration rate and body temperature in barn- and pasture-housed peripubertal dairy heifers","authors":"K.M. Daniels , M.D. Ellett , C.L.M. Parsons , B.A. Corl","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0790","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0790","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>If animals cannot dissipate accumulated heat from metabolism and the environment, heat stress (HS) occurs. Temperature-humidity index (THI) thresholds for peripubertal dairy heifers are not well defined, despite their known susceptibility to HS. Establishing THI thresholds in heifers housed in heat-abated freestall barns and on pasture will provide practical management metrics and inform future HS research. This study included 2 experiments in a humid continental climate: one under natural seasonal conditions and another in climate-controlled chambers. The objectives were to (1) establish THI thresholds for HS in peripubertal dairy heifers under different housing types, (2) develop prediction equations for respiration rate (RR) and body temperature in heifers using THI as the predictor variable, and (3) determine if a climate-controlled environment could result in similar biological responses and THI breakpoints as observed in peripubertal heifers housed in summer pasture. In the first experiment, RR, vaginal body temperature, and THI were recorded twice daily for a total of 14 d in 12 peripubertal heifers (291 ± 19 kg BW, 281 ± 6 d of age; mean ± SD). Each heifer experienced 7 d of housing in a naturally ventilated barn with fans above the stalls and 7 d of outdoor pasture housing, in a crossover fashion. Simple linear and segmented regression were used to develop prediction models for RR and body temperature, using THI as the predictor variable. Simple linear regression best modeled RR and body temperature response to THI in heifers housed in a barn with fans above the freestalls when THI ranged from 64 to 82. In contrast, a segmented regression with a THI threshold of ∼74 best reflected RR and body temperature response to THI for pasture-housed heifers when THI ranged from 62 to 88. After THI reached the threshold of 74 without remediation, signs of HS escalated abruptly. A second experiment was conducted to determine if housing in a climate-controlled chamber could result in similar biological responses and THI breakpoints as observed in heifers housed in summer pasture. For this, RR and body temperature relative to observed THI were monitored twice daily in a subset of 5 heifers from experiment 1 (340 ± 16 kg BW; mean ± SD) that were housed in a climate-controlled chamber. In this setting, THI was increased incrementally every 24 h over a 5-d period, from ∼65 to 80. Similar to pasture housing, RR and body temperature abruptly increased with each unit increase in THI beginning at THI of 74 for RR and 76 for body temperature. Collectively, these experiments confirm that peripubertal dairy heifers exhibit classic signs of HS, with RR and body temperature increasing sharply near THI 74 in both pasture and climate-controlled environments. Heifers housed in environments with heat abatement features do not respond to increased THI in the same manner; biological responses to increased THI remain linear. Regardless of housing environment, h","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 797-802"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-09-25DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2025-0835
R. Laven , D.A. Yang
Careful communication of results is integral to dairy research. However, many published studies contain misinterpretation of the results of statistical analysis, which can lead to conclusions being drawn which are not consistent with the data. Many of these interpretations have arisen because of a focus on P-values rather than on the potential range of effects that are compatible with the study data. This review focuses on 3 misinterpretations: the use of levels of statistical significance to compare results between or within studies, overinterpretation of nonsignificant results, and the use of “trend” to describe results that are “close” to a significance threshold. All of these misinterpretations can be avoided by paying more attention to the range of effects that are compatible with the data. Such a focus will have many benefits—not least, making it clearer when studies have insufficient power to accurately characterize their outcomes. Focusing on compatible effects is not a panacea but will improve statistical inference and provide more thoughtful descriptions of study outcomes.
{"title":"Common misinterpretations of statistical significance and P-values in dairy research","authors":"R. Laven , D.A. Yang","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0835","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0835","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Careful communication of results is integral to dairy research. However, many published studies contain misinterpretation of the results of statistical analysis, which can lead to conclusions being drawn which are not consistent with the data. Many of these interpretations have arisen because of a focus on <em>P-</em>values rather than on the potential range of effects that are compatible with the study data. This review focuses on 3 misinterpretations: the use of levels of statistical significance to compare results between or within studies, overinterpretation of nonsignificant results, and the use of “trend” to describe results that are “close” to a significance threshold. All of these misinterpretations can be avoided by paying more attention to the range of effects that are compatible with the data. Such a focus will have many benefits—not least, making it clearer when studies have insufficient power to accurately characterize their outcomes. Focusing on compatible effects is not a panacea but will improve statistical inference and provide more thoughtful descriptions of study outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 721-726"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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