title: Tissue composition and trace mineral content of the dam and litter under low dietary zinc intake during gestation and lactation of first-litter gilts.
abstract: Dry matter (DM), fat, calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) analyses were performed in tissues from gilts and their offspring after receiving either a control (50 mg/kg) or a low-Zn dietary (10 mg/kg) during gestation and lactation. DM and fat content in the body tissues of the dams were not affected by Zn-intake except in the liver and placenta; liver fat was significantly decreased, while placenta fat was significantly increased in the low-Zn gilts. Several tissues of the dams fed the low-Zn diet showed a lower Zn concentration, but liver and bones were the most significantly affected. Liver from these dams compensated with a significant increase in Cu concentration, while placenta, although not affected in its Zn concentration, showed a significant increase in Mn concentration. Overall, at the end of a two week lactation, first-litter gilts showed a significant reduction in total body Zn content, reaching only 65% of the total Zn found in the control gilts. This was compensated for by a significant increase in the total body Cu content, which was 24% greater than in the control group. In spite of the significant reduction of the total body Zn in the dams fed the low-Zn diet, their newborn and two week old piglets showed a significant reduction in Zn concentration in several tissues, of which the liver and bones were mostly affected. At the same time, liver Cu concentration was significantly increased in these piglets. Curiously, there was also observed a consistent increase in Mn concentration in the brain and bones of these piglets. Total body Zn was reduced by more than 40% in newborn piglets from low-Zn dams. There was a significant increase in total body Zn observed from birth to 2 weeks of age in piglets, 58.4 and 53.4 mg for the control and low-Zn group, respectively. This resulted in no significant differences between the 2 experimental groups at the end of 2 weeks of suckling by their respective dams. This indicated that the colostrum and milk was a good source of Zn regardless of the dietary Zn intake of their dams. Total body Cu in piglets at birth was not found to be significantly different in the 2 groups but, by 2 weeks of age, piglets being sucked by low-Zn dams showed a significantly higher Cu content, with an excess of 50% or more of the Cu content found in control piglets.
authors.affiliation: Crampton Nutrition Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, Macdonald College of McGill University, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kalinowski
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Chavez
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism*; D001823:Body Composition; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008345:Manganese / Q000378:metabolism; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D013552:Swine / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000378:metabolism*; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D010758:Phosphorus; D008345:Manganese; D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc; D002118:Calcium