Feed for promoting development of umbilical cord and placenta of sheep, nutrition regulation method and application

Abstract

The present invention discloses a sheep umbilical cord and placenta development promoting feed, which comprises a TMR daily ration and rumen bypass coated folic acid, and the addition amount of the rumen bypass coated folic acid in each kilogram of feed dry matter is 16 mg. The invention relates to the field of animal nutriology and embryology, aims to improve the survival rate and growth performance of fetuses, and specifically comprises the following steps: adding rumen bypass coated folic acid of a specific dose into daily ration of pregnant sheep, and continuously feeding the pregnant sheep from mating to lambing. According to the method, the fetal umbilical cord diameter can be remarkably increased, the sheep umbilical vein cross section area can be improved, the nutrient substance transportation capability of the umbilical cord can be enhanced, the placenta structure and function can be improved, the placenta trophoblast cell density can be improved, and the maternal-fetal nutrient substance transmission efficiency can be enhanced. The method has the advantages of simplicity and convenience in operation, remarkable economic benefit and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the fields of animal nutrition and embryology, and in particular to a feed, nutritional regulation method, and application for promoting the development of sheep umbilical cord and placenta. Background Technology

[0002] The umbilical cord, as the link between the fetus and the mother, plays a crucial role in nutrient exchange and protecting structural blood vessels during animal development. It is one of the most important structures in animal development and a vital organ for material exchange between mother and fetus. In ruminants, the umbilical cord consists of two umbilical arteries and two umbilical veins. The umbilical arteries contain venous blood, while the umbilical veins, derived from the placenta, are rich in oxygen and other components, exhibiting characteristics of arterial blood. The normal development of sheep umbilical cord vessels directly affects fetal survival rate, growth rate, and postnatal health, profoundly impacting the economic benefits of sheep farming. However, in actual sheep farming, the development of sheep umbilical cord vessels is often constrained by various factors.

[0003] Besides the umbilical cord, the placenta is also a core organ for the exchange of substances between mother and fetus, and its functional status directly affects the fetus's nutrient supply and growth and development. Placental trophoblast cells are key structures for maintaining placental function, and their density and integrity are closely related to placental barrier function. However, in current aquaculture practices, placental development often lacks effective nutritional support, resulting in limited efficiency in nutrient transfer from mother to fetus, affecting fetal development quality and survival rate.

[0004] While some progress has been made in animal nutrition regulation, most methods only improve the overall nutritional level of the mother and lack targeted regulation of umbilical cord and placental development, resulting in insufficient precision. Some regulatory methods even pose safety risks; for example, excessive addition of trace elements may have adverse effects on the ewe or fetus.

[0005] Recent studies in animal nutrition and reproductive physiology have shown that folic acid participates in DNA and protein synthesis, is an essential nutrient for cell division and angiogenesis, and is crucial for placental and umbilical cord development during pregnancy. Especially in cases of multiple pregnancies, the folic acid requirement of ewes increases significantly, while pregnant and lactating mothers are often in a state of negative folic acid metabolism balance. Therefore, targeted folic acid supplementation holds promise for simultaneously improving umbilical cord vascular and placental function, thereby enhancing fetal survival rates and growth performance.

[0006] In summary, there is still a lack of a safe, efficient, targeted, and practically applicable method for nutritional regulation to promote the development of sheep umbilical cord and placenta. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides, in one aspect, a feed that promotes the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep. By adding folic acid to the diet of pregnant ewes, it promotes the development of the fetal umbilical cord and placenta, improves fetal survival rate, and thus enhances economic benefits. This invention also provides a method and application for nutritional regulation that promotes the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep.

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention provides a feed for promoting the development of sheep umbilical cord and placenta, comprising a TMR diet and rumen-coated folic acid, wherein the amount of rumen-coated folic acid added per kilogram of feed dry matter is 16 mg.

[0009] The feed that promotes the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep, preferably, includes a TMR diet for the early stages of pregnancy and a TMR diet for the late stages of pregnancy.

[0010] The feed that promotes the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep, preferably, includes, by weight, 35 parts peanut vines, 55 parts whole-plant corn silage and 10 parts concentrate in the TMR diet during the early stages of pregnancy.

[0011] The feed for promoting the development of sheep umbilical cord and placenta, preferably, comprises, by weight, 58.8 parts corn, 12 parts soybean meal, 15 parts wheat bran, 3 parts textured protein, 7.5 parts premix, 2 parts baking soda, 1.5 parts salt, and 0.2 parts mycotoxin binder, wherein the premix comprises 3000 IU of vitamin A, 1000 IU of vitamin D, 100 mg of vitamin E, 90 mg of iron, 12.5 mg of copper, 50 mg of manganese, 80 mg of zinc, 0.3 mg of selenium, 0.8 mg of iodine, and 0.5 mg of copper.

[0012] The feed that promotes the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep, preferably, includes, by weight, 27.5 parts peanut vines, 45 parts whole-plant corn silage and 27.5 parts concentrate in the TMR diet during late pregnancy.

[0013] The feed for promoting the development of sheep umbilical cord and placenta, preferably, comprises, by weight, 54.1 parts corn, 20 parts soybean meal, 15 parts wheat bran, 0.5 parts palm flour, 2 parts textured protein, 5 parts premix, 1.5 parts baking soda, 0.5 parts salt, 0.7 parts magnesium oxide, 0.5 parts white sugar, and 0.2 parts mycotoxin binder, wherein the premix comprises 3000 IU of vitamin A, 1000 IU of vitamin D, 100 mg of vitamin E, 90 mg of iron, 12.5 mg of copper, 50 mg of manganese, 80 mg of zinc, 0.3 mg of selenium, 0.8 mg of iron, and 0.5 mg of copper.

[0014] The rumen-coated folic acid includes folic acid and a coating carrier, wherein the coating carrier is a long-chain saturated fatty acid, an emulsifier, and water.

[0015] A second aspect of this invention provides a nutritional regulation method for promoting the development of sheep umbilical cord and placenta, comprising the aforementioned feed for promoting sheep umbilical cord and placenta development, specifically including the following steps: From mating to pregnancy, 90 days, rumen-coated folic acid was added when feeding the pre-pregnancy TMR diet in the morning, and the pre-pregnancy TMR diet was fed normally in the afternoon. From 90 days after conception until lambing, rumen-coated folic acid was added when feeding the late-pregnancy TMR diet in the morning, and the late-pregnancy TMR diet was fed normally in the afternoon.

[0016] The third aspect of this invention provides an application of a feed that promotes the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep, used to increase the diameter of the fetal umbilical cord, improve the cross-sectional area of ​​the fetal umbilical vein, increase the density of placental trophoblast cells, and promote the development of the fetal umbilical cord and placenta. The beneficial effects are:

[0017] 1. Promotes umbilical cord blood vessel development: By adding a specific dose of rumen-coated folic acid to the diet of pregnant ewes, the diameter of the fetal umbilical cord and the total cross-sectional area of ​​the umbilical vein can be significantly increased, enhancing the nutrient and oxygen transport capacity of the umbilical cord, thereby effectively promoting fetal growth and development.

[0018] 2. Improve placental function: Folic acid supplementation can significantly increase the density of placental trophoblast cells, enhance placental barrier function, and improve the efficiency of nutrient transfer from the mother to the fetus, thereby providing more stable support for fetal development.

[0019] 3. Simple method and easy to promote: This invention only requires adding rumen-coated folic acid to the basic diet of pregnant ewes. The feeding method is simple and easy to apply in breeding practice. No additional equipment or complicated process is required, and it has strong practicality.

[0020] 4. Safe and reliable: Extensive experimental verification shows that long-term supplementation with rumen-coated folic acid has no adverse effects on ewes and fetuses. It can not only improve umbilical cord and placental development, but also enhance the reproductive performance of ewes and the growth performance of lambs.

[0021] 5. Significant economic benefits: By improving umbilical cord blood vessel and placental development, it increases fetal survival rate and birth quality, accelerates lamb fattening, and provides a sustainable and efficient means of nutritional regulation for sheep farming, with broad prospects for promotion. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1a The morphology and structure of the umbilical cord of a Hu sheep fetus at 55 days of gestation (control group). Figure 1b The morphology and structure of the umbilical cord of the fetuses of Hu sheep in the 55-day gestation group; Figure 2a This serves as a comparison of umbilical cord diameter parameters between the control and treatment groups of Hu sheep at 55 days of gestation. Figure 2b This serves as a comparison of UA-CSA parameters in the umbilical cords of Hu sheep at 55 days of gestation between the control and treatment groups. Figure 2c This serves as a comparison of UAL-CSA parameters of umbilical cords in Hu sheep at 55 days of gestation between the control and treatment groups. Figure 2d This serves as a comparison of UV-CSA parameters of the umbilical cords in Hu sheep at 55 days of gestation between the control and treatment groups. Figure 2e This serves as a comparison of UVL-CSA parameters of the umbilical cord in Hu sheep at 55 days of gestation between the control and treatment groups. Figure 3a The placental morphology and structure of the control group at 55 days of gestation; Figure 3b The morphology and structure of the placenta in the treatment group at 55 days of gestation; Figure 4a The morphology and structure of the umbilical cord in a Hu sheep fetus at 105 days of gestation (control group). Figure 4b The morphology and structure of the umbilical cord of the fetuses of Hu sheep in the treatment group at 105 days of gestation; Figure 5a This serves as a comparison of umbilical cord diameter parameters between the control and treatment groups of Hu sheep at 105 days of gestation. Figure 5b This serves as a comparison of UA-CSA parameters in the umbilical cords of Hu sheep at 105 days of gestation between the control and treatment groups. Figure 5c This serves as a comparison of the UAL-CSA parameters of the umbilical cords of Hu sheep in the control and treatment groups at 105 days of gestation. Figure 5d This serves as a comparison of UV-CSA parameters of the umbilical cord in Hu sheep at 105 days of gestation between the control and treatment groups. Figure 5e This serves as a comparison of UVL-CSA parameters of the umbilical cord in Hu sheep at 105 days of gestation between the control and treatment groups. Figure 6a The placental morphology and structure of the control group at 105 days of gestation; Figure 6b The morphology and structure of the placenta in the treatment group at 105 days of gestation. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention. Example 1

[0024] A feed to promote the development of sheep umbilical cord and placenta includes a TMR diet and rumen-coated folic acid, wherein the amount of rumen-coated folic acid added is 16 mg per kilogram of feed dry matter.

[0025] The TMR diet includes a TMR diet for the first trimester and a TMR diet for the second trimester, as shown in Table 1.

[0026] The TMR diet for the first trimester of pregnancy, calculated by weight, consists of 35 parts peanut vines, 55 parts whole-plant corn silage, and 10 parts concentrate.

[0027] The concentrate, calculated by weight, comprises 58.8 parts corn, 12 parts soybean meal, 15 parts wheat bran, 3 parts textured protein, 7.5 parts premix, 2 parts baking soda, 1.5 parts salt, and 0.2 parts mycotoxin binder. The premix includes 3000 IU of vitamin A, 1000 IU of vitamin D, 100 mg of vitamin E, 90 mg of iron, 12.5 mg of copper, 50 mg of manganese, 80 mg of zinc, 0.3 mg of selenium, 0.8 mg of iron, and 0.5 mg of copper.

[0028] The TMR diet for late pregnancy includes, by weight, 27.5 parts peanut vines, 45 parts whole-plant corn silage, and 27.5 parts concentrate.

[0029] The concentrate, calculated by weight, comprises 54.1 parts corn, 20 parts soybean meal, 15 parts wheat bran, 0.5 parts palm flour, 2 parts textured protein, 5 parts premix, 1.5 parts baking soda, 0.5 parts salt, 0.7 parts magnesium oxide, 0.5 parts white sugar, and 0.2 parts mycotoxin binder. The premix comprises 3000 IU of vitamin A, 1000 IU of vitamin D, 100 mg of vitamin E, 90 mg of iron, 12.5 mg of copper, 50 mg of manganese, 80 mg of zinc, 0.3 mg of selenium, 0.8 mg of iron, and 0.5 mg of copper.

[0030] Table 1. Composition and nutritional components of TMR diets (dry matter basis %)

[0031] Note: TMR: Total Mixed Ration; DM: Dry Matter; CP: Crude Protein; EE: Crude Fat; NDF: Neutral Detergent Fiber; ADF: Acid Detergent Fiber; Ca: Calcium; ME: Metabolizable Energy; P: Phosphorus 1) Premix provides per kilogram of ration: VA3000IU, VD1000IU, VE100mg, Fe90mg, Cu12.5mg, Mn50mg, Zn80mg, Se0.3mg, I0.8mg, Co0.5mg.

[0032] 2) Metabolizable energy is an estimated value, in Mcal / kg. Example 2

[0033] A nutritional regulation method for promoting the development of sheep umbilical cord and placenta, comprising the aforementioned feed for promoting the development of sheep umbilical cord and placenta, specifically including the following steps: S1: From mating to pregnancy, 90 days, rumen-coated folic acid was added when feeding the pre-pregnancy TMR diet in the morning, and the pre-pregnancy TMR diet was fed normally in the afternoon.

[0034] S2: From 90 days after conception until lambing, rumen-coated folic acid was added when feeding the late-pregnancy TMR diet in the morning, and the late-pregnancy TMR diet was fed normally in the afternoon. Example 3

[0035] An application of a feed that promotes the development of sheep umbilical cord and placenta, used to increase the diameter of fetal umbilical cord, improve the cross-sectional area of ​​fetal umbilical vein, increase the density of placental trophoblast cells, and promote the development of fetal umbilical cord and placenta. Example 4

[0036] This example uses the umbilical cords of Hu sheep fetuses at 55 and 105 days of gestation as the research object to illustrate the method of the present invention.

[0037] Two hundred and twenty healthy, multiparous, estrus-ready female Hu sheep with similar genetic backgrounds and weights were selected and bred within one week (twice a day, morning and evening). Immediately after mating, they were randomly divided into two groups: a control group and a treatment group. Both groups were fed individually in pens. The control group was fed a basal diet, while the treatment group was fed the feed described in Example 1 according to the nutritional regulation method in Example 2. Thirty-five days after mating, ultrasound examination was performed to determine the mating results and the number of pregnant animals. A total of 108 female sheep were pregnant: 53 in the control group and 55 in the treatment group.

[0038] At 55 days of gestation, ewes carrying twins were selected for slaughter. After slaughter, the ewe's uterus was opened, the fetuses were removed, and the diameter of the umbilical cord was measured using digital calipers. Approximately 2 cm of the umbilical cord was then removed, cleaned, and fixed in a general-purpose tissue fixation solution for morphological analysis. At the same time, the placenta near the umbilical cord was removed and fixed in the same solution for morphological analysis.

[0039] The sheep umbilical cord consists of two umbilical arteries and two umbilical veins. Morphological samples of the collected umbilical cord and placenta were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE). ImageJ analysis software was used to determine the morphological parameters of the umbilical cord (scale bar = 1 mm) and placental section (scale bar = 50 µm). Independent samples t-tests were then performed using SPSS 27.0. The morphological structures of the umbilical cords of sheep in the control and treatment groups at 55 days of gestation are shown below. Figure 1a and 1bAs shown, the umbilical cord diameter and morphological parameters of the Hu sheep in the control and treatment groups at 55 days of gestation are as follows: Figure 2a , Figure 2b , Figure 2c , Figure 2d and Figure 2e As shown, the placental morphology and structure of the control group and the treatment group at 55 days of gestation are as follows: Figure 3a and Figure 3b As shown.

[0040] Studies on umbilical cords at 55 days of gestation showed that the umbilical cord diameter of fetuses in the folic acid-fed group was significantly larger than that in the control group. This indicates that early pregnancy supplementation with coated folic acid can significantly promote the development of fetal umbilical cord vessels, enhance the umbilical cord's ability to transport nutrients, and provide more adequate nutritional support for fetal growth and development. Studies on placentas at 55 days of gestation showed that the trophoblast cell density in the treated group was higher than that in the control group, indicating that folic acid helps promote trophoblast cell proliferation.

[0041] To further verify the effect of folic acid supplementation, twin-lambed ewes in both the control and treatment groups were slaughtered at 105 days of gestation. After removing the fetuses, the umbilical cord diameter was measured using digital calipers. Approximately 2 cm of the umbilical cord was then cut, cleaned, and fixed in a general-purpose tissue fixative for histological examination. Simultaneously, placental tissue near the umbilical cord was dissected and fixed in a general-purpose tissue fixative for morphological analysis. The morphological structures of the umbilical cords in the control and treatment groups at 105 days of gestation are as follows. Figure 4a and Figure 4b As shown, the umbilical cord diameter and morphological parameters of the Hu sheep in the control and treatment groups at 105 days of gestation are as follows: Figure 5a , Figure 5b , Figure 5c , Figure 5d and Figure 5e As shown, the morphological structure of the placenta in the control and treatment groups of Hu sheep at 105 days of gestation is as follows. Figure 6a and Figure 6b As shown.

[0042] The results of a study on the umbilical cord at 105 days of gestation showed that folic acid feeding had a significant effect on the diameter of the umbilical cord and the cross-sectional area of ​​the umbilical vein, indicating that continuous supplementation with rumen-coated folic acid throughout pregnancy can continuously promote the development of fetal umbilical cord vessels and provide stronger nutritional support for fetal growth and development.

[0043] HE staining of the placenta at 105 days of gestation showed that the density of placental trophoblast cells in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group. Multinucleated trophoblast cells were clearly visible in the treatment group, and the trophoblast cells were more neatly arranged and had better cell integrity, indicating enhanced placental barrier function.

[0044] In summary, this invention, through the scientific supplementation of rumen-coated folic acid into the diet of pregnant ewes, can effectively promote umbilical cord blood vessel and placental development, enhance fetal nutrient supply, and improve fetal survival rate and growth performance. This method is simple to operate, low in cost, safe, and reliable, and has significant prospects for widespread application.

[0045] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A feed that promotes the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep, characterized in that, The diet includes TMR and rumen-coated folic acid, with the amount of rumen-coated folic acid added at 16 mg per kilogram of feed dry matter.

2. The feed for promoting the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep according to claim 1, characterized in that, The TMR diet includes a TMR diet for the first trimester and a TMR diet for the second trimester.

3. The feed for promoting the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep according to claim 2, characterized in that, The TMR diet for the first trimester of pregnancy, calculated by weight, consists of 35 parts peanut vines, 55 parts whole-plant corn silage, and 10 parts concentrate.

4. The feed for promoting the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep according to claim 3, characterized in that, The concentrate, calculated by weight, comprises 58.8 parts corn, 12 parts soybean meal, 15 parts wheat bran, 3 parts textured protein, 7.5 parts premix, 2 parts baking soda, 1.5 parts salt, and 0.2 parts mycotoxin binder. The premix includes 3000 IU of vitamin A, 1000 IU of vitamin D, 100 mg of vitamin E, 90 mg of iron, 12.5 mg of copper, 50 mg of manganese, 80 mg of zinc, 0.3 mg of selenium, 0.8 mg of iron, and 0.5 mg of copper.

5. The feed for promoting the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep according to claim 2, characterized in that, The TMR diet for late pregnancy, calculated by weight, includes 27.5 parts peanut vines, 45 parts whole-plant corn silage, and 27.5 parts concentrate.

6. The feed for promoting the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep according to claim 5, characterized in that, The concentrate, calculated by weight, comprises 54.1 parts corn, 20 parts soybean meal, 15 parts wheat bran, 0.5 parts palm flour, 2 parts textured protein, 5 parts premix, 1.5 parts baking soda, 0.5 parts salt, 0.7 parts magnesium oxide, 0.5 parts white sugar, and 0.2 parts mycotoxin binder. The premix comprises 3000 IU of vitamin A, 1000 IU of vitamin D, 100 mg of vitamin E, 90 mg of iron, 12.5 mg of copper, 50 mg of manganese, 80 mg of zinc, 0.3 mg of selenium, 0.8 mg of iron, and 0.5 mg of copper.

7. A method for nutritional regulation to promote the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep, characterized in that, The feed for promoting the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep, as described in any one of claims 2 to 6, specifically includes the following steps: From mating to pregnancy, 90 days, rumen-coated folic acid was added when feeding the pre-pregnancy TMR diet in the morning, and the pre-pregnancy TMR diet was fed normally in the afternoon. From 90 days after conception until lambing, rumen-coated folic acid was added when feeding the late-pregnancy TMR diet in the morning, and the late-pregnancy TMR diet was fed normally in the afternoon.

8. The application of a feed for promoting the development of the umbilical cord and placenta in sheep as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, It is used to increase the diameter of the fetal umbilical cord, improve the cross-sectional area of ​​the fetal umbilical vein, increase the density of placental trophoblast cells, and promote the development of the fetal umbilical cord and placenta.

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