title: Assessment of the influence of dietary vitamin E on sows and offspring in three parities: reproductive performance, tissue tocopherol, and effects on progeny.
abstract: Sixty crossbred (Yorkshire-Hampshire X Duroc) gilts were fed one of four corn-soybean meal diets fortified with .3 ppm Se and 0, 16, 33, or 66 IU of DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate/kg. The study was conducted over a three-parity period to evaluate sow reproductive performance and the vitamin E tissue status of both sows and progeny at various time periods postcoitum and(or) postpartum. The basal diet averaged 8.4 mg of alpha-tocopherol/kg and .38 ppm of Se. Although litter size at birth was lowest (P less than .15) when sows were fed the basal diet, a higher incidence of agalactia when sows were fed the lower dietary vitamin E levels resulted in an increased (P less than .05) litter size at 7 d postpartum as dietary vitamin E increased. Sow serum alpha-tocopherol increased (P less than .01) at each measurement period as dietary vitamin E level increased. Colostrum and milk alpha-tocopherol concentrations increased (P less than .01) as dietary vitamin E level increased, and colostrum values were three to five times higher than at later milks. Colostrum alpha-tocopherol declined by parity from sows fed less than or equal to 16 IU/kg but was similar at each parity for sows fed greater than or equal to 33 IU/kg, resulting in a dietary vitamin E x parity interaction (P less than .01). The Se content of sow milk declined with parity but was not affected by dietary vitamin E level. Sow liver tocopherol at weaning (28 d postpartum) increased (P less than .01) as dietary vitamin E increased and increased with parity (P less than .05). Pig serum and liver alpha-tocopherol concentrations were elevated at birth and 7 and 28 d of age as sow dietary level of vitamin E increased. Upon weaning, pigs were fed a torula yeast-dextrose diet that contained 3.0 mg of alpha-tocopherol/kg and .32 ppm Se for a 28-d postweaning period. Liver and serum alpha-tocopherol concentrations declined during the postweaning period. Evidence of the vitamin E deficiency occurred at 28 d postweaning in the progeny from sows fed the basal diet or 16 IU of vitamin E; the incidence was more prevalent in the pigs from Parities II and III. These results suggest that a supplemental level of 16 IU of vitamin E/kg of diet was inadequate for the reproducing sow; higher levels are justified, particularly when females are retained in the herd for several parities.
authors.affiliation: Anim. Sci. Dept., Ohio State University, Columbus 43210-1095.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mahan
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D003126:Colostrum / Q000737:chemistry; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D007774:Lactation; D007775:Lactation Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D008098:Litter Size; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008413:Mastitis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry; D010298:Parity; D012098:Reproduction; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D012643:Selenium