Browsing by Author "Isabel, Beatriz"

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Effects of L-glutamine supplementation during the gestation of gilts and sows on the offspring development in a traditional swine breed
(2021) Vázquez Gómez, Marta; García Contretas, Consolación; Astiz, Susana; Torres Rovira, Laura; Pesántez Pacheco, José Luis; Heras Molina, Ana; Castro Madrigal, Teresa; López Bote, Clemente; Ovilo, Cristina; Gonzalez Bulnes, Antonio; Isabel, Beatriz
The use of amino acids during pregnancy, such as glutamine (Gln), seems to be a promising strategy in selected swine breeds to improve the offspring prenatal development. The main goal of the current study was to assess the development of the offspring from parity 1–3 sows of a traditional breed, which were supplemented with 1% glutamine after Day 35 of gestation, under farm conditions. A total of 486 (288 treated) piglets from 78 (46 treated) Iberian sows were used. At birth and slaughterhouse, fatty acid composition, metabolism, and mTOR pathway gene expression were analyzed. At birth, treated newborns showed greater amounts of specific amino acids in plasma, such as glutamine, asparagine, or alanine, and Σn-3 fatty acids in cellular membranes than control newborns. The expression of genes belonging to mTOR Complex 1 was also higher in treated piglets with normal birth-weight. However, these findings did not improve productive traits at birth or following periods in litters from supplemented gilts (parity 1) or sows (parities 2–3). Thus, further research is needed to properly understand the effects of prenatal glutamine supplementation, particularly in traditional swine breeds.
Maternal supplementation with polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy: effects on growth, metabolism, and body composition of the offspring
(2020) Heras Molina, Ana; Pesántez Pacheco, José Luis; Astiz, Susana; García Contreras, Consolacion; Vázquez Gómez, Marta; Encinas, María Teresa; Óvilo, Cristina; Isabel, Beatriz; Gonzalez Bulnes, Antonio
Maternal supplementation with antioxidants and n3 PUFAs may be a promising strategy to reduce the risk of intrauterine growth restriction and preterm delivery, which may diminish the appearance of low-birth-weight neonates. The present study aimed to determine benefits and risks of a dietary supplementation combining hydroxytyrosol, a polyphenol from olive leaves and fruits, and n3 PUFAs, from linseed oil, on developmental patterns and metabolic traits of offspring in swine, a model of IUGR pregnancies. The results obtained indicate that maternal supplementation with hydroxytyrosol and n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy has no deleterious effects on the reproductive traits of the sows (prolificacy, homogeneity of the litter, and percentage of stillborns and low-birth-weight, LBW, piglets) and the postnatal features of the piglets (growth patterns, adiposity, and metabolic traits). Conversely, in spite of a lower mean weight and corpulence at birth, piglets from the supplemented sows showed higher average daily weight gain and fractional growth rate. Thus, at juvenile stages afterwards, the offspring from the treated group reached higher weight and corpulence, with increased muscle development and better lipidemic and fatty acid profiles, in spite of similar adiposity, than offspring in the control group. However, much caution and more research are still needed before practical recommendation and use in human pregnancies.
Maternal supplementation with polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy: prenatal effects on fetal fatty acid composition in the iberian pig
(2022) Escudero, Rosa ; Heras Molina, Ana; González Bulnes, Antonio; Óvilo, Cristina; Astiz, Susana; Vázquez Gómez, Marta; García Contreras, Consolación; Pesántez Pacheco, José Luis; Isabel, Beatriz
Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) is a major problem in pig production and different strategies, mainly maternal supplementation with different agents, are currently being studied. The combination of hydroxytyrosol and n3-PUFA seems to be a promising treatment to counteract IUGR, since the combination may help improve n3-PUFA composition and lower the inflammatory status of IUGR piglets. The aim of the present study is to determine the effects of a maternal supplementation, from day 35 to day 100 of pregnancy, with linseed oil and hydroxytyrosol on the fetal FA composition. The results showed higher n3 levels, including eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic FA in the offspring from treated gilts, which showed lower n6-PUFA/n3-PUFA (n6/n3) ratios. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were also affected by treatment, especially in the muscle and brain. Thus, a maternal supplementation with linseed oil and hydroxytyrosol affected the fetal FA tissue composition, which could have implications in pig production due to the improvement of the piglets’ health status
Polyphenols and IUGR pregnancies: effects of maternal hydroxytyrosol supplementation on hepatic fat accretion and energy and fatty acids profile of fetal tissues
(2019) García Contreras, Consolación; Vazquez Gomez, Marta; Pardo, Zaira; Heras Molina, Ana; Pesántez Pacheco, José Luis; Encinas, Teresa; Torres Rovira, Laura; Astiz, Susana; Nieto, Rosa; Ovilo, Cristina; Gonzalez Bulnes, Antonio; Isabel, Beatriz
Maternal supplementation with hydroxytyrosol, a polyphenol present in olive leaves and fruits, is a highly promising strategy to improve the oxidative and metabolic status of fetuses at risk of intrauterine growth restriction, which may diminish the appearance of low-birth-weight neonates. The present study aimed to determine whether hydroxytyrosol, by preventing lipid peroxidation, may influence the fat accretion and energy homeostasis in the liver, as well as the fatty acid composition in the liver and muscle. The results indicate that hydroxytyrosol treatment significantly decreased the energy content of the fetal liver, without a ecting fat accretion, and caused significant changes in the availability of fatty acids. There were significant increases in the amount of total polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6, which are highly important for adequate fetal tissue development. However, there were increases in the omega-6/omega-3 ratio and the desaturation index, which make further studies necessary to determine possible e ects on the pro/anti-inflammatory status of the fetuses.
Polyphenols and iugr pregnancies: effects of maternal hydroxytyrosol supplementation on placental gene expression and fetal antioxidant status, dna-methylation and phenotype
(2019) García Contreras, Consolación; Vázquez Gómez, Marta; Barbero Fernández, Alicia; Pesántez Pacheco, José Luis; Zinellu, Angelo; Berlinguer, Fiammetta; González Añover, Pedro; González, Jorge Ernesto; Encinas, Teresa; Torres Rovira, Laura; Nuñez, Yolanda; Ballesteros, Jaime; Ayuso, Miriam; Astiz, Susana; Isabel, Beatriz; González Bulnes, Antonio
The use of polyphenols is a promising strategy for preventing or alleviating intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) because polyphenol supplementation increases plasma antioxidant capacity and improves oxidative stress at the feto-placental unit; which are recognized as main issues in IUGR. However, there is a scarcity of experimental data on both realistic benefits and potential hazards of polyphenol supplementation during gestation. Hence, we aimed to use a swine model of IUGR pregnancy to determine possible effects of maternal supplementation with polyphenols (hydroxytyrosol) on placental expression of genes involved in antioxidant homeostasis, vascularization and fetal growth and thus on antioxidant status, DNA-methylation and phenotypic traits (morphology and homeostasis) of the fetus. Hydroxytyrosol improves placental gene expression and fetal antioxidant status and glucose metabolism in a sex-dependent manner, in which males were favored in spite of developmental failures. Concomitantly, hydroxytyrosol prevented hypomethylation of DNA associated with oxidative stress. Finally, no major deleterious effects of hydroxytyrosol supplementation on constriction of the ductus arteriosus, a possible secondary effect of polyphenols during pregnancy, were found. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Polyphenols and IUGR pregnancies: effects of maternal hydroxytyrosol supplementation on postnatal growth, metabolism and body composition of the offspring
(2019) Vázquez Gómez, Marta; Heras Molina, Ana; García Contreras, Consolación; Pesántez Pacheco, José Luis; Torres Rovira, Laura; Martinez Fernandez, Beatriz; Gonzalez, Jorge; Encinas, Teresa; Astiz, Susana; Ovilo, Cristina; Isabel, Beatriz; González Bulnes, Antonio
Maternal supplementation with the polyphenol hydroxytyrosol in a swine model of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) improves the fetal oxidative status, decreases the appearance of low birth-weight neonates and favors growth during early postnatal stages (lactation). The current study aimed to determine whether hydroxytyrosol supplementation can also improve developmental patterns, metabolic traits, and body composition of the offspring during later postnatal stages (from weaning to adulthood). A total of 21 piglets born from control untreated sows and 20 piglets born from sows treated with hydroxytyrosol during the last two-thirds of pregnancy were selected on the basis of similar body weights at weaning, for avoiding any interfering effects occurred during lactation. The pigs in the treated group had higher average daily weight gain (ADWG) and, therefore, reached higher body weight and corpulence, greater muscle development and higher adiposity than their control counterparts. The following were not found: significant effects on metabolism and body composition except changes in the muscular fatty acid composition of the treated pigs coming from the largest litters; those more affected by IUGR processes. These findings suggest that maternal supplementation with hydroxytyrosol may improve juvenile development of offspring in at-risk pregnancies and pave the way for more specific studies aiming to elucidate effects on adiposity, metabolism, and meat organoleptic characteristics.