Response of plasma and tissue D-alpha-tocopherol in sheep to graded dietary levels of dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate.
The objective of this experiment was to establish the validity of using plasma alpha-tocopherol values as an index of alpha-tocopherol status in sheep. alpha-tocopherol values were obtained for tissues and blood of 40 sheep given four different dietary intakes of dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate. Group 1 sheep were given a basal diet containing 25 to 32 mg dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate kg-1 while groups 2, 3 and 4, comprising 10 sheep each, received the basal diet plus 200, 400 and 600 mg dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate per sheep, respectively. Blood samples were obtained at zero time and then twice weekly for eight weeks, at which time sheep were killed and organs retrieved for tissue alpha-tocopherol analysis. Tocopherol concentrations were higher in all tissues (P less than 0.001) of sheep fed the vitamin E supplemented diets than the basal diet. Vitamin E stored in the liver of sheep at the end of the experiment (eight weeks) showed a linear response to the level of vitamin E in the diet. Blood plasma vitamin E concentrations increased following vitamin E supplementation, but no direct relationship was found between vitamin E intake and plasma vitamin E content.
Hidiroglou
M
M
Animal Research Centre, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
Charmley
E
E
D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012756:Sheep / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D024505:Tocopherols; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
D014810:Vitamin E; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D024505:Tocopherols