infection alters parasitological, hematological, and colostrum profiles with metabolomic and lipidomic signatures in Florida cracker ewes during the peripartum period.

Abstract

This study evaluated for the first time the effects ofinfection on hematological and parasitological parameters, as well as on the composition, metabolomic, and lipidomic profiles of colostrum in periparturient Florida Cracker ewes. Twenty pregnant Florida Cracker ewes were allocated to infected (INF, = 10) or control (CTL, = 10) groups at 90 days of pregnancy. Then, at 120 days of gestation, the INF group received an oral dose of 10,000 L3larvae, while the CTL group received 3 mL of distilled water. Fecal egg counts (FEC) and FAMACHA scoring were performed before infection (-1 h), and at 7-, 14-, 21-, 28- and 35- days post-infection (pi). Blood was collected by jugular venipuncture before infection (-1 h) and at 3-, and 6-h, and at 7-, 14-, 21- and 28-days pi from all ewes for full hematology analysis. Colostrum samples were collected at lambing from each ewe. The FEC data was log transformed [log(FEC + 100)] for analysis (LFEC). A mixed-effects model with repeated measures was used to analyze the hematological and parasitological data. Colostrum chemical composition was analyzed using a-test, while metabolomic and lipidomic data were processed using MetaboAnalyst 5.0. Parasitological analysis revealed significant differences for LFEC and FAMCHA score, at 21-, 28- and 35-days pi and at 14-21-, 28- and 35-days pi, respectively. For hematological data, significant differences ( ≤ 0.05) were observed for white blood cell count (WBC), lymphocyte count (LYM), neutrophil count (NEU), monocyte count (MON) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV). No significant differences were observed for the chemical composition of colostrum. For colostrum metabolomics, 23 differentially abundant metabolites (≤ 0.05, FC ≥ 1.5 or ≤ 0.67) were observed between the experimental groups. Lipidome analysis identified 4,702 lipid species in the colostrum samples. Biomarker analysis identified 3 lipid species (FA 15:1; O, MG 20:5, PE 41:6) as potential biomarkers between the INF and CTL groups. These lipids support cellular integrity and energy biogenesis. These findings highlight the impact ofinfections on colostrum composition in Florida Cracker ewes, suggesting the need for further research to understand how these changes impact the metabolism and performance of lambs.