Integrated Assessment of Metabolic, Oxidative, and Molecular Adaptations from Pregnancy to Early Lactation in Shami Goats (Capra hircus)

Identifying physiological changes during the transition period is essential for improving the health and productivity of dairy goats. This study evaluated hematological, biochemical, hormonal, oxidative stress, and molecular alterations in Shami goats during the pre-pregnancy, late pregnancy, and early lactation periods. Eighty clinically healthy goats were examined, and blood samples were analyzed for hematological indices, metabolic and hormonal profiles, oxidative stress biomarkers, and relative expression of genes associated with energy metabolism, antioxidant defense, inflammation, and autophagy. Late pregnancy was characterized by significant (p < 0.05) increases in red blood cell count (RBCs), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), neutrophils, albumin, globulin, urea, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I), and malondialdehyde (MDA), accompanied by decreased glucose, cholesterol, total protein (TP), antioxidant markers, total leukocyte count, packed cell volume, and monocytes. Early lactation was associated with higher non-esterified fatty acid, triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) levels. Genes involved in lipid mobilization and oxidation, ketogenesis, inflammation, cellular stress, and autophagy; sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA), carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a (CPT1A), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme a synthase 2 (HMGCS2), cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36), lipase E (LIPE), protein kinase amp-activated catalytic subunit alpha 1 (PRKAA1), solute carrier family 2 member 1 (SLC2A1), haptoglobin (HP), interleukin 6 (IL6), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), beclin 1 (BECN1), and autophagy-related protein 5 (ATG5) were significantly upregulated, whereas antioxidant- and glucose transport-related genes nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1), catalase (CAT), thioredoxin (TXN), and solute carrier family 2 member 4 (SLC2A4) were downregulated during the transition period. The results indicate well-orchestrated metabolic and molecular adaptations that can be employed as biological indicators to track the physiological status of Shami goats. These findings fulfilled the study objective and identified potential biomarkers of the transition period in Shami goats.