Email: Badinga@animal.ufl.edu

Meeting the nutrient requirements of the mammary gland during early and peak lactation requires a series of metabolic adaptations, some concerned with processing of the increased feed intake, others concerned with the use of nutrient reserves, and others ensuring that nutrients are used preferably by the mammary gland.  Our research mission is to investigate and develop an understanding of the basic cellular and molecular mechanisms by which dietary factors control digestive and metabolic processes in livestock, and to implement nutritional strategies which maximize the efficiency of feed utilization and provide healthy animal products for human consumption.

Representative Publications:

Selberg KT, Lowe AC, Staples CR, Luchini DN, Badinga L. Production and metabolic responses of periparturient Holstein cows to dietary conjugated linoleic acid and trans-octadecenoic acids.  J Dairy Sci 2004; 87:158-168.

Selberg KT, Staples CR, Luchini ND, Badinga L.  Dietary trans octadecenoic acids upregulate the liver gene encoding peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-a in transition dairy cows.  J Dairy Res 2005; 72:107-114.

Balaguer SA, Pershing RA, Rodriguez-Sallaberry C, Thatcher WW, Badinga L.  Effects of bovine somatotropin on uterine genes related to the prostaglandin cascade in lactating dairy cows.  J Dairy Sci 2005; 88:543-552.

Caldari-Torres C, Rodriguez-Sallaberry C, Johnson ES, Badinga L.  Eicosapentaenoic acid and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta regulate prostaglandin F_2a production through distinct signaling mechanisms in bovine endometrial cells.  Biol Reprod 2005; (submitted).