# Metabolomics and Lipidomics in the Study of Reproductive Performance in Livestock

## TL;DR

This review explores how metabolomics and lipidomics help understand and improve livestock reproduction by linking metabolism and epigenetics.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of metabolic-epigenetic interactions in livestock reproduction and their implications for fertility improvement.

## Key findings

- Metabolic pathways like glycolysis and lipid metabolism interact with epigenetic mechanisms to regulate reproductive processes.
- Metabolomics and lipidomics reveal biomarkers in semen, follicular fluid, and embryos that correlate with fertility.
- Nutritional interventions and reproductive technologies can be optimized using insights from metabolic and lipid profiles.

## Abstract

Reproductive efficiency is a critical factor for livestock productivity and sustainability. Recent evidence shows that metabolism not only provides energy for reproduction but also regulates gene expression through epigenetic modifications. This metabolic–epigenetic coupling affects gamete quality, embryo development, implantation, and pregnancy maintenance, but its coordination across reproductive stages is not fully understood. In this review, we summarize knowledge on metabolic–epigenetic interactions in cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry. We focus on how metabolic pathways like glycolysis, lipid metabolism, and one-carbon metabolism interact with DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs to regulate reproduction. Understanding these interactions opens new opportunities to improve fertility through nutrition, biomarker selection, and reproductive technologies, providing a framework to enhance livestock reproductive efficiency.

With the rapid development of omics technologies, metabolomics and lipidomics have become important tools for elucidating the molecular basis of reproductive performance in livestock. These approaches, which focus on small metabolites and lipid species, provide valuable insights into dynamic interactions between genes, proteins, and the environment, offering a high level of sensitivity. This review summarizes key methodological advances in metabolomics and lipidomics and their applications to gametogenesis, oocyte maturation, embryo development, and pregnancy maintenance. It highlights how metabolic and lipid pathways, particularly those involving energy metabolism, redox regulation, lipid remodeling, and cell–cell signaling, affect reproductive cell quality. This review further integrates biomarkers identified from semen, follicular fluid, oocytes, embryos, and uterine tissues, highlighting their potential roles in fertility assessment. Together, these insights enhance our understanding of metabolic regulation in reproduction and support the effective application of metabolomics and lipidomics in improving livestock fertility.