ARTICLE FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE May 2025 75 PRACTICAL NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE EPIGENETIC UP-REGULATION To positively influence epigenetic outcomes, implement these specific nutrient recommendations: • Methionine and Choline: o Rumen-protected methionine: 10–15 g/day (2.3–2.4% of metabolizable protein). o Rumen-protected choline: 12–20 g/day, from 21 days pre- to 21 days post-calving. • Folate and Vitamin B12: o Vitamin B12 (rumen-protected): 0.5–1.0 mg/ day during metabolic stress. o Folate (rumen-protected): 2–3 mg/kg DM intake/day during transition and early lactation. • Trace Minerals: o Selenium: 0.3 mg/kg DM, preferably as selenomethionine. o Zinc: 40–60 mg/kg DM (combination of organic and inorganic forms). o Copper: 12–16 mg/kg DM. • Fiber for Optimal VFA Production: o Dietary NDF: 28–32% of diet DM; forage NDF: 20–24% of diet DM. o Physically effective fiber (peNDF): >21%. • Energy Balance: o Energy density: 1.55–1.65 Mcal/kg NEL (close-up dry period), increasing to 1.70–1.75 Mcal/kg NEL post-calving. o Support dry matter intake (3.5–4% of body weight/day at peak lactation). • Colostrum Management: o Feed 4 liters of high-quality colostrum (>50 g IgG/L) within 2 hours of birth. o Ensure calves consume at least 150–200 g of IgG within the first 24 hours. ECONOMIC AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Epigenetic nutrition significantly impacts cow longevity beyond short-term productivity metrics like milk yield. Improved epigenetic programming reduces disease incidence, prolongs productive lifespan, lowers replacement costs, and enhances lifetime profitability. Cows managed with optimal epigenetic nutrition demonstrate increased lifetime milk production, reduced veterinary interventions, and greater farm economic sustainability. Optimizing nutritional strategies for epigenetic up-regulation involves more than basic nutrient provision; it strategically modulates gene expression pathways essential for immunity, health, and longevity. Recognizing and leveraging nutritional epigenetics presents dairy nutritionists with powerful tools to enhance animal welfare, productivity, and economic outcomes, supporting sustainable dairy farming practices. References 1. Kasubuchi, M., Hasegawa, S., Hiramatsu, T., Ichimura, A., & Kimura, I. (2015). Dietary Gut Microbial Metabolites, Short-chain Fatty Acids, and Host Metabolic Regulation. Nutrients, 7(4), 2839–2849. 2. Muñoz, A., & Rimbach, G. (2018). Epigenetics and Nutrition in the Wake of Discovery of the Role of Epigenetic Modifications in the Development of Diseases: Use of Nutrients to Modify Epigenetic Mechanisms of Disease. Animal, 12(S2), s295–s309. 3. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). (2021). Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle (8th revised ed.). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi. org/10.17226/25806 4. Rodríguez-Carrio, J., & López, P. (2021). Consequence of Epigenetic Processes on Animal Health and Disease. Animal Frontiers, 11(6), 7–14.
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