Peptide Profiling in Dairy Cow Dry Secretions: Temporal Changes and Comparative Analysis Between Healthy and Subclinical Mastitis Cows

The dairy industry relies on the health and well-being of dairy cows for the optimal production of milk and dairy products. Mastitis, a prevalent and economically burdensome disease characterized by udder inflammation, poses significant challenges to dairy farmers worldwide. In this study, we employ...

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Main Authors: Barjam Hasanllari, Benjamin P. Willing, Liang Li, Xian Luo, Burim N. Ametaj
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Dairy
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2624-862X/6/2/19
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author Barjam Hasanllari
Benjamin P. Willing
Liang Li
Xian Luo
Burim N. Ametaj
author_facet Barjam Hasanllari
Benjamin P. Willing
Liang Li
Xian Luo
Burim N. Ametaj
author_sort Barjam Hasanllari
collection DOAJ
description The dairy industry relies on the health and well-being of dairy cows for the optimal production of milk and dairy products. Mastitis, a prevalent and economically burdensome disease characterized by udder inflammation, poses significant challenges to dairy farmers worldwide. In this study, we employed peptidomics to explore the peptide profiles of dry secretions collected from dairy cows at specific intervals during the dry-off period. We hypothesized that alterations in peptide composition during the dry period may influence pathogen proliferation and immune cell functioning, thereby impacting mastitis susceptibility. Our objectives were to investigate the following: (i) differences in peptide composition and alterations between healthy cows and those with subclinical mastitis, potentially serving as biomarkers for early mastitis detection and offering insights into udder bioprocesses; (ii) variations in peptide profiles between the early (day 2) and later (day 21) stages of the dry-off period during both health conditions. Dry secretions were collected from 16 udder quarters of 8 cows at two defined time points—Day 2 (D2) and Day 21 (D21)—during the dry period. Our results revealed distinct peptide patterns between healthy and subclinical mastitis cows, as well as temporal variations in peptide profiles throughout the dry-off period. A total of 1235 peptides, originating from 59 distinct proteins (primarily β-casein), were detected across the four groups: subclinical mastitis day 21 (SCM-D21), subclinical mastitis day 2 (SCM-D2), healthy day 21 (H-D21), and healthy day 2 (H-D2). Furthermore, 56 out of the 1235 peptides identified in total matched known functional peptides, with a total of 17 different functions including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory, suggesting their potential roles in mastitis pathogenesis and mammary gland physiology. Comparative analyses revealed changes in the levels of these functional peptides across the four different groups, suggesting their potential roles in regulating immune responses, oxidative stress, inflammatory processes, and other biological activities during subclinical mastitis and the dry-off period. These findings provide valuable insights into mastitis detection, management strategies, and dairy cow health monitoring, offering promising avenues for enhancing milk quality and dairy industry sustainability.
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spelling doaj-art-0abbc4a17d3e4a9fb1b16951c477d6032025-08-20T02:28:12ZengMDPI AGDairy2624-862X2025-04-01621910.3390/dairy6020019Peptide Profiling in Dairy Cow Dry Secretions: Temporal Changes and Comparative Analysis Between Healthy and Subclinical Mastitis CowsBarjam Hasanllari0Benjamin P. Willing1Liang Li2Xian Luo3Burim N. Ametaj4Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, CanadaDepartment of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, CanadaThe Metabolomics Innovation Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, CanadaThe Metabolomics Innovation Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, CanadaDepartment of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, CanadaThe dairy industry relies on the health and well-being of dairy cows for the optimal production of milk and dairy products. Mastitis, a prevalent and economically burdensome disease characterized by udder inflammation, poses significant challenges to dairy farmers worldwide. In this study, we employed peptidomics to explore the peptide profiles of dry secretions collected from dairy cows at specific intervals during the dry-off period. We hypothesized that alterations in peptide composition during the dry period may influence pathogen proliferation and immune cell functioning, thereby impacting mastitis susceptibility. Our objectives were to investigate the following: (i) differences in peptide composition and alterations between healthy cows and those with subclinical mastitis, potentially serving as biomarkers for early mastitis detection and offering insights into udder bioprocesses; (ii) variations in peptide profiles between the early (day 2) and later (day 21) stages of the dry-off period during both health conditions. Dry secretions were collected from 16 udder quarters of 8 cows at two defined time points—Day 2 (D2) and Day 21 (D21)—during the dry period. Our results revealed distinct peptide patterns between healthy and subclinical mastitis cows, as well as temporal variations in peptide profiles throughout the dry-off period. A total of 1235 peptides, originating from 59 distinct proteins (primarily β-casein), were detected across the four groups: subclinical mastitis day 21 (SCM-D21), subclinical mastitis day 2 (SCM-D2), healthy day 21 (H-D21), and healthy day 2 (H-D2). Furthermore, 56 out of the 1235 peptides identified in total matched known functional peptides, with a total of 17 different functions including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory, suggesting their potential roles in mastitis pathogenesis and mammary gland physiology. Comparative analyses revealed changes in the levels of these functional peptides across the four different groups, suggesting their potential roles in regulating immune responses, oxidative stress, inflammatory processes, and other biological activities during subclinical mastitis and the dry-off period. These findings provide valuable insights into mastitis detection, management strategies, and dairy cow health monitoring, offering promising avenues for enhancing milk quality and dairy industry sustainability.https://www.mdpi.com/2624-862X/6/2/19peptidespeptidomicsdry perioddry secretionmastitis
spellingShingle Barjam Hasanllari
Benjamin P. Willing
Liang Li
Xian Luo
Burim N. Ametaj
Peptide Profiling in Dairy Cow Dry Secretions: Temporal Changes and Comparative Analysis Between Healthy and Subclinical Mastitis Cows
Dairy
peptides
peptidomics
dry period
dry secretion
mastitis
title Peptide Profiling in Dairy Cow Dry Secretions: Temporal Changes and Comparative Analysis Between Healthy and Subclinical Mastitis Cows
title_full Peptide Profiling in Dairy Cow Dry Secretions: Temporal Changes and Comparative Analysis Between Healthy and Subclinical Mastitis Cows
title_fullStr Peptide Profiling in Dairy Cow Dry Secretions: Temporal Changes and Comparative Analysis Between Healthy and Subclinical Mastitis Cows
title_full_unstemmed Peptide Profiling in Dairy Cow Dry Secretions: Temporal Changes and Comparative Analysis Between Healthy and Subclinical Mastitis Cows
title_short Peptide Profiling in Dairy Cow Dry Secretions: Temporal Changes and Comparative Analysis Between Healthy and Subclinical Mastitis Cows
title_sort peptide profiling in dairy cow dry secretions temporal changes and comparative analysis between healthy and subclinical mastitis cows
topic peptides
peptidomics
dry period
dry secretion
mastitis
url https://www.mdpi.com/2624-862X/6/2/19
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