Performance, thermoregulation, and liver function in beef heifers exposed to endophyte-infected or endophyte-free tall fescue under a common environment

TL;DR

Ergot alkaloids in endophyte-infected tall fescue reduce beef heifer growth, heat tolerance, and liver function within two weeks.

Contribution

Demonstrates early onset of fescue toxicosis effects on cattle metabolism and thermoregulation under controlled conditions.

Findings

E+ heifers showed reduced feed intake, growth, and elevated body temperatures compared to E− heifers.

E+ heifers exhibited liver stress markers like elevated AST and reduced ALP and cholesterol.

Heatwaves exacerbated stress in E+ heifers, with greater dry matter intake suppression than in E− heifers.

Abstract

This study demonstrates that toxins in endophyte-infected tall fescue reduce feed intake, growth, and heat tolerance in beef heifers, with these effects becoming apparent within two weeks. The exposure also caused liver stress and metabolic disruption. These findings highlight the significant impacts of fescue toxicosis on cattle health and productivity.

Fescue toxicosis, induced by ingestion of ergot alkaloids from endophyte-infected tall fescue, remains a significant challenge to beef cattle production. This study evaluated the effects of fescue toxicosis on performance, thermoregulation, and liver metabolism in beef heifers maintained under the same experimental conditions as non-exposed controls. Twenty-four commercial Angus heifers were randomly assigned to a diet containing either an endophyte-infected (E+) or endophyte-free (E−) seeds for 49 days. Heifers were allocated to balance genetic representation across the two dietary groups to minimize genetic confounding. Environmental data, including temperature and relative humidity, were continuously recorded, and minimum, mean, and maximum temperature-humidity index (THI) were calculated each day. Two heatwave events occurred during the trial. E + heifers exhibited reductions in dry matter intake (DMI), feeding rate, meal size, average daily gain (ADG), and body weight, and elevated respiration rate and rectal temperature compared to E− heifers (P <0.05). Physiological impairments emerged within the first two weeks of exposure, with a subsequent heatwave exacerbating stress in the E + group. Among the three THI metrics evaluated, minimum THI showed the strongest negative correlation with DMI (r = −0.20). The two heatwave events coincided with notable reductions in DMI across both dietary groups. However, DMI was more severely suppressed in E + heifers compared to the E− group. Serum analysis revealed elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and reduced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and cholesterol levels in E + heifers, indicating liver stress and metabolic dysfunction (P <0.05). No significant differences were observed in serum albumin, bilirubin, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), or triglyceride levels between groups. Collectively, these findings underscore the complex metabolic and physiological disturbances triggered by ergot alkaloid exposure, which compromise heifer health, thermoregulation, and productivity, particularly under heat stress conditions.

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