title: Vitamin E requirement of mink with special reference to tocopherol composition in plasma, liver, and adipose tissue.
abstract: Tissue responses of 4 different tocopherols found in a basal diet (BD) and the effect of 2 physiologic levels of dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (25 and 150 mg/kg) on tissue tocopherol content were studied in the mink. The BD contained a total of 7.1 mg vitamin E/kg, with alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol in a ratio of 1:0.07:0.55:0.10, respectively. The corresponding ratios in the tissues were: liver, 1:0.04:0.12:0; plasma, 1:0:0.13:0; and adipose tissue, 1:0:0.19:0. After mink were fed diets containing vitamin E, alpha- and gamma-tocopherol were distributed in similar proportions in plasma and liver, but gamma-tocopherol was in a slightly higher proportion in adipose tissue. Addition of 25 or 150 mg/kg of alpha-tocopheryl acetate to the BD decreased the gamma-tocopherol levels in all 3 tissues; this was considered to be a dilution effect of other tocopherols in BD with added alpha-tocopheryl acetate. The beta-tocopherol content in the liver remained unchanged, irrespective of the dietary amount of alpha-tocopheryl acetate. Plasma alpha-tocopherol had a linear relationship to log dietary dose, with an apparent half-saturation of the vitamin E binding capacity at 13 mg vitamin E/kg diet. At the given dietary levels, liver and adipose continued to accumulate alpha-tocopherol. The correlation between total plasma lipids and plasma alpha-tocopherol was significant (P less than 0.001) only in the group fed the BD. Vitamin E analysis of plasma could be used as a routine method for controlling the vitamin E status of mink.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008907:Mink / Q000378:metabolism*; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D024505:Tocopherols; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000662:veterinary; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D014810:Vitamin E; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D024505:Tocopherols