Environment-Associated Variations in Blood Metabolism of Mongolian Cattle Grazing in the Alxa Desert of China
Desert environments pose severe challenges to livestock survival. This study examined climate-driven physiological and metabolic adaptations in 258 Mongolian cattle from six regions of the Alxa Desert, China. Serum biochemical indices were measured and analyzed using linear models to assess the effe...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Veterinary Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12/5/506 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849719640091000832 |
|---|---|
| author | Chao Hai Dongchao Pei Yuqing Yang Lishuang Song Xuefei Liu Chunling Bai Guanghua Su Lei Yang Guangpeng Li |
| author_facet | Chao Hai Dongchao Pei Yuqing Yang Lishuang Song Xuefei Liu Chunling Bai Guanghua Su Lei Yang Guangpeng Li |
| author_sort | Chao Hai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Desert environments pose severe challenges to livestock survival. This study examined climate-driven physiological and metabolic adaptations in 258 Mongolian cattle from six regions of the Alxa Desert, China. Serum biochemical indices were measured and analyzed using linear models to assess the effects of climate, sex, and age. Climate significantly affected key blood parameters, including glucose (<i>p</i> < 0.001), creatinine (<i>p</i> < 0.001), alkaline phosphatase (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and lactate (<i>p</i> = 0.034). Additionally, sex significantly influenced lactate dehydrogenase (<i>p</i> = 0.049), bicarbonate (<i>p</i> = 0.0061), urea (<i>p</i> = 0.0055), and triglycerides (<i>p</i> = 0.039), while age affected total protein (<i>p</i> = 0.020), LDL-C (<i>p</i> = 0.0097), and cholesterol (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Glucose levels were negatively correlated with body size traits. Metabolomic profiling showed that cattle in arid, high-radiation areas exhibited reduced TCA cycle and fatty acid metabolism, with concurrent carbohydrate accumulation, including glucose, fructose, and mannose. Enhanced amino acid metabolism increased proline, valine, tyrosine, and tryptophan levels, potentially supporting physiological stability under heat and drought stress. These findings reveal how Mongolian cattle modulate metabolism in response to desert climates, offering insights into livestock adaptation and informing breeding strategies for resilience in harsh environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b989f5a9f3e1411f9b95cad4a8b4d4ff |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2306-7381 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-b989f5a9f3e1411f9b95cad4a8b4d4ff2025-08-20T03:12:07ZengMDPI AGVeterinary Sciences2306-73812025-05-0112550610.3390/vetsci12050506Environment-Associated Variations in Blood Metabolism of Mongolian Cattle Grazing in the Alxa Desert of ChinaChao Hai0Dongchao Pei1Yuqing Yang2Lishuang Song3Xuefei Liu4Chunling Bai5Guanghua Su6Lei Yang7Guangpeng Li8State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, ChinaDesert environments pose severe challenges to livestock survival. This study examined climate-driven physiological and metabolic adaptations in 258 Mongolian cattle from six regions of the Alxa Desert, China. Serum biochemical indices were measured and analyzed using linear models to assess the effects of climate, sex, and age. Climate significantly affected key blood parameters, including glucose (<i>p</i> < 0.001), creatinine (<i>p</i> < 0.001), alkaline phosphatase (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and lactate (<i>p</i> = 0.034). Additionally, sex significantly influenced lactate dehydrogenase (<i>p</i> = 0.049), bicarbonate (<i>p</i> = 0.0061), urea (<i>p</i> = 0.0055), and triglycerides (<i>p</i> = 0.039), while age affected total protein (<i>p</i> = 0.020), LDL-C (<i>p</i> = 0.0097), and cholesterol (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Glucose levels were negatively correlated with body size traits. Metabolomic profiling showed that cattle in arid, high-radiation areas exhibited reduced TCA cycle and fatty acid metabolism, with concurrent carbohydrate accumulation, including glucose, fructose, and mannose. Enhanced amino acid metabolism increased proline, valine, tyrosine, and tryptophan levels, potentially supporting physiological stability under heat and drought stress. These findings reveal how Mongolian cattle modulate metabolism in response to desert climates, offering insights into livestock adaptation and informing breeding strategies for resilience in harsh environments.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12/5/506Mongolian cattledesert environmentserum biochemical indicesblood metabolism |
| spellingShingle | Chao Hai Dongchao Pei Yuqing Yang Lishuang Song Xuefei Liu Chunling Bai Guanghua Su Lei Yang Guangpeng Li Environment-Associated Variations in Blood Metabolism of Mongolian Cattle Grazing in the Alxa Desert of China Veterinary Sciences Mongolian cattle desert environment serum biochemical indices blood metabolism |
| title | Environment-Associated Variations in Blood Metabolism of Mongolian Cattle Grazing in the Alxa Desert of China |
| title_full | Environment-Associated Variations in Blood Metabolism of Mongolian Cattle Grazing in the Alxa Desert of China |
| title_fullStr | Environment-Associated Variations in Blood Metabolism of Mongolian Cattle Grazing in the Alxa Desert of China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environment-Associated Variations in Blood Metabolism of Mongolian Cattle Grazing in the Alxa Desert of China |
| title_short | Environment-Associated Variations in Blood Metabolism of Mongolian Cattle Grazing in the Alxa Desert of China |
| title_sort | environment associated variations in blood metabolism of mongolian cattle grazing in the alxa desert of china |
| topic | Mongolian cattle desert environment serum biochemical indices blood metabolism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12/5/506 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chaohai environmentassociatedvariationsinbloodmetabolismofmongoliancattlegrazinginthealxadesertofchina AT dongchaopei environmentassociatedvariationsinbloodmetabolismofmongoliancattlegrazinginthealxadesertofchina AT yuqingyang environmentassociatedvariationsinbloodmetabolismofmongoliancattlegrazinginthealxadesertofchina AT lishuangsong environmentassociatedvariationsinbloodmetabolismofmongoliancattlegrazinginthealxadesertofchina AT xuefeiliu environmentassociatedvariationsinbloodmetabolismofmongoliancattlegrazinginthealxadesertofchina AT chunlingbai environmentassociatedvariationsinbloodmetabolismofmongoliancattlegrazinginthealxadesertofchina AT guanghuasu environmentassociatedvariationsinbloodmetabolismofmongoliancattlegrazinginthealxadesertofchina AT leiyang environmentassociatedvariationsinbloodmetabolismofmongoliancattlegrazinginthealxadesertofchina AT guangpengli environmentassociatedvariationsinbloodmetabolismofmongoliancattlegrazinginthealxadesertofchina |