TABLE 6.

Chemical taxonomy of metabolites most strongly influencing discrimination by the partial least squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) that were upregulated and downregulated in feces at birth in heifer calves born to cows offered a control diet (CON, n = 13) supplemented with ethyl-cellulose rumen-protected methionine (MET, n = 13; Mepron^® at 0.09% of diet DM; Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH, Germany) compared with heifer calves born to cows offered a control diet (CON, n = 13) during the last 28 days of pregnancy, following the conditions of VIP > 1.0 and |p-(corr)| ≥ 0.5.

	Name	Chemical taxonomy
		Super class	Sub class
Increased in MET	3,4-Dihydroxyphenylglycol	Benzenoids	Benzenediols
	2,5-Dichlorophenol	Benzenoids	Halobenzenes
	Phosphatidylcholine	Lipids and lipid-like molecules	Glycerophosphocholines
	Glycerol 3-phosphate	Lipids and lipid-like molecules	Glycerophosphates
	Prostaglandin E2	Lipids and lipid-like molecules	Eicosanoids
	Epiandrosterone	Lipids and lipid-like molecules	Androstane steroids
	Sphinganine 1-phosphate	Lipids and lipid-like molecules	Phosphosphingolipids
	Flavin mononucleotide	Nucleosides, nucleotides, and analogues	Flavin nucleotides
	Cytidylic acid	Nucleosides, nucleotides, and analogues	Pyrimidine ribonucleotides
	Sphingoid	Organic nitrogen compounds	Amines
	Glucuronide	Organic oxygen compounds	Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates
	D-Erythrose 4-phosphate	Organic oxygen compounds	Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates
	Epimelibiose	Organic oxygen compounds	Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates
	Riboflavin	Organoheterocyclic compounds	Alloxazines and isoalloxazines
	Ascorbic acid	Organoheterocyclic compounds	Furanones
Decreased in MET	Pyrogallic acid	Benzenoids	Phenols and derivatives
	Phenylglyoxylic acid	Benzenoids	Benzoyl derivatives
	Squalene	Lipids and lipid-like molecules	Triterpenoids
	Linoleic acid	Lipids and lipid-like molecules	Lineolic acids and derivatives
	Desoxycortone	Lipids and lipid-like molecules	Hydroxysteroids
	9,10-DHOME	Lipids and lipid-like molecules	Fatty acids and conjugates
	Ceramide	Lipids and lipid-like molecules	Ceramides
	Estradiol-17beta 3-glucuronide	Lipids and lipid-like molecules	Steroidal glycosides
	Gamolenic acid	Lipids and lipid-like molecules	Lineolic acids and derivatives
	13-OxoODE	Lipids and lipid-like molecules	Lineolic acids and derivatives
	Uridine	Nucleosides, nucleotides, and analogues	Pyrimidine nucleosides
	Guanosine triphosphate	Nucleosides, nucleotides, and analogs	Purine ribonucleotides
	Cyclic AMP	Nucleosides, nucleotides, and analogues	Cyclic purine nucleotides
	Cysteinylglycine	Organic acids and derivatives	Amino acids, peptides, and analogues
	Naringenin	Phenylpropanoids and polyketides	Flavans