Supplemental tables and figures for metabolic resilience in goats: Insights from nutritional challenge and milk metabolomic analysis

SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES AND FIGURES FOR THE FOLLOWING PAPER PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCENCE

Resilience in goats: Insights from nutritional challenge and milk metabolomic analysis

This study aimed to investigate the metabolic mechanisms underlying resilience and to identify potential biomarkers of resilience and longevity by comparing divergent functional longevity lines and phenotypic resilience groups in dairy goats. A total of 70 Alpine goats, selected for longevity and phenotypic resilience, were subjected to a two-day underfeeding challenge. Milk samples were collected before and at the end of the challenge and analyzed using untargeted metabolomics.

Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed distinct milk metabolome changes between the divergent longevity lines and between phenotypic resilience groups during the challenge, while no differences were observed at pre-challenge. During the challenge, phenotype resilience groups differed in amino acid metabolism, with the low resilience group exhibiting greater reductions in branched-chain amino acids (leucine, valine, isoleucine) and tryptophan compared to the high resilience group, supporting the previously observed decrease in total amino groups under nutritional stress. During the challenge, goats from higher functional longevity lines showed greater reductions in milk C4-DC carnitine during the challenge, and this reduction was negatively correlated with their sires' estimated breeding values for functional longevity. These findings support a biological link between metabolic resilience and functional longevity, potentially through mitochondrial efficiency. These results highlight novel milk-based biomarkers that could contribute to improved selection and management strategies aimed at enhancing resilience in dairy goats.