Role of Nutrition in Epigenetics and Its Impact on Milk Production in Farm Animals: A Review

Abstract

Milk production in farm animals is a cornerstone of global agriculture, significantly influenced by epigenetic mechanisms, and this mechanism plays an important role in mammary gland function, milk quantity, and quality traits. In this review, we discuss how nutrition can play a role in epigenetic mechanisms, such as histone modifications, DNA acetylation, DNA methylation and non-coding RNAs which lead to mammary gland development and milk production. We highlight the nutrients, such as methionine, choline, omega-3 fatty acids, and resveratrol, and how they directly affect epigenetic marks, and increase the yield, composition, and quality of milk. Adding methionine to feed improves the production of milk protein and fat, while omega-3 fatty acids increase milk production by acetylating histones. However, there remain major gaps in knowledge of species-specific epigenetic responses to nutritional interventions. Nonetheless, many issues about the epigenetic pathways remain unresolved. Particularly, their lack of understanding of the role of epigenetics in milk production across species and the influence of various nutritional components. This review summarizes from beginning to current knowledge about nutrition specific components, how it influences epigenetics and its impact on the udder environment and milk production, identifies the research gaps and offers insightful information about its applicability to enhancing animal nutrition and dairy production for research scholars, veterinarians, and livestock farmers.