Maternal nicotinamide supplementation during the perinatal period modifies the small intestine morphology and antioxidative status of offspring kids

Nicotinamide (NAM) was evidenced to have the capacity to improve energy metabolism and attenuate oxidative stress during the perinatal period. As there is an association between maternal nutrition and the developmental outcomes of offspring, the aim was to investigate the effect of maternal NAM supplementation on small intestine morphology and some antioxidative parameters of offspring kids. Fifteen multiparous does were paired and allocated into 3 treatments: control (C), postpartum (P, supplemented post-kidding), and entire-perinatal (EP, supplemented from d -21 to 28 around kidding). NAM was drenched to does at 5 g/d and at 0700 h every day. After kidding, the kids were named L-C, L-P, and L-EP, respectively, and fed milk from their mothers until d 28 of life. For the offspring kids, BW and ADG were not affected. The villus height in the duodenum was higher in L-P than in L-C, and that in the ileum was higher in L-EP. The ratio of villus height to crypt depth of intestine was increased in L-EP. The serum IgG was tended to elevate by maternal NAM supplementation, and the total antioxidant capacity was decreased in both L-P and L-EP. The does supplemented with NAM had an improved antioxidative status, and lower level of milk IL-1 beta was found in EP. The MDA of the mammary tissue was also decreased by NAM. Moreover, the milk metabolomics profile showed that glycerol was decreased while citramalic acid and sucrose were elevated with NAM supplementation. Glycerolipid metabolism, galactose metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism were enriched. Thus, these data indicated that maternal NAM supplementation improved the small intestinal development of offspring kids partially by affecting the antioxidative status and milk metabolites of the does. This knowledge further suggested that the development of a nutritional strategy from prepartum period and milk feeding in early life are important for offspring kids.