Fetal programming and effect of supplementation pre-partum on productive and reproductive performance of progenie: Review

Abstract

Fetal programming, also called developmental programming, is concept of a maternal dietary stimulus on fetal performance and growth, which are related to the effects of the uterine environment through epigenetic mechanisms, which modulate the adaptation to the fetus to the uterine environment through gene silencing or activation. Tropical forages cultivated in Brazil have low nutritional value, especially in the dry season of the year, and may be inadequate to ensure optimal nutrition for growth, pregnancy and lactation. Thus, protein supplementation of beef cows in the final third of gestation becomes important, since it is a phase in which the exponential growth occurs of the fetus with higher nutritional demand. Have as goals to alter the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of the fetus by causing metabolic or endocrine impression, as well as effects on muscle cells, allowing the potential promotion of myogenesis and fetal muscle adipogenesis. The objective of this review is to discuss the concepts related to fetal programming and the effects of protein supplementation of beef cows in the final third of gestation on performance productive and reproductive your progenies.
Keys-words: fetal programming, beef cow, productivityFetal programming and effect of supplementation pre-partum on productive and reproductive performance of progenie: Review
Abstract. Fetal programming, also called developmental programming, is concept of a maternal dietary stimulus on fetal performance and growth, which are related to the effects of the uterine environment through epigenetic mechanisms, which modulate the adaptation to the fetus to the uterine environment through gene silencing or activation. Tropical forages cultivated in Brazil have low nutritional value, especially in the dry season of the year, and may be inadequate to ensure optimal nutrition for growth, pregnancy and lactation. Thus, protein supplementation of beef cows in the final third of gestation becomes important, since it is a phase in which the exponential growth occurs of the fetus with higher nutritional demand. Have as goals to alter the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of the fetus by causing metabolic or endocrine impression, as well as effects on muscle cells, allowing the potential promotion of myogenesis and fetal muscle adipogenesis. The objective of this review is to discuss the concepts related to fetal programming and the effects of protein supplementation of beef cows in the final third of gestation on performance productive and reproductive your progenies.