Negative Energy Balance in Transition Cows Induces Complex Changes in Lipid Profile of Milk

Negative energy balance (NEB) during the transition period is associated with profound changes in the body condition and metabolic dynamics of dairy cows. However, the detailed lipidomic changes in milk induced by NEB are unclear, and lipid biomarkers that indicate the energy status of cows remain to be established.

Using a combination of GC-FID, HILIC-MS and RP-LC-MS, we performed a systematic comparison of lipid composition between early lactating (DIM: 5-14) and mid-lactating (DIM: 65-80) milk.

We found that NEB in cows caused a profound modification in the profile of all the lipid classes surveyed, including phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylinositol (PI), sphingomyelin (SM), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), PC-plasmalogen (PCP), PE-plasmalogen (PEP), lactosylceramide (LacCer), acylcarnitine (AcylCar) and triglycerides (TAGs). Except for LPC and AcylCar, which were reduced and increased, respectively, by NEB, the responses of other lipid classes varied across different species. For phospholipids and TAGs, species containing de novo FAs (C4:0-C16:0) and odd-chain FAs (C15:0 and C17:0) were markedly downregulated, whereas those comprising long-chain preformed FAs were upregulated by NEB.

Comprehensive lipidomic profiling of early and mid-lactating milk from two large cohorts of cows allowed us to identify nine lipids (PE 33:1, LacCer 32:1, LacCer 39:1, LacCer 41:1, SM 36:1, SM 36:2, SM 37:1, PEP 38:4 and PEP 38:5) as potential biomarkers of NEB in dairy cows.