title: Effect of feeding tuna oil or soyabean oil as supplements to sows in late pregnancy on piglet tissue composition and viability.
abstract: To investigate whether long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids could cross the porcine placenta in late pregnancy and alter neonatal piglet tissue composition, multiparous sows (seven per diet) were fed on diets containing a supplement (30 g/kg) of either soyabean oil or tuna oil for the last 21 d of pregnancy and the first 7 d of lactation. The proportions of all fatty acids, except 18:1n-7, differed between diets: in particular, the tuna-oil-containing diet supplied more 22:6n-3 and less 18:2n-6 fatty acids than the soyabean-oil-containing diet. The proportions of n-3 fatty acids, particularly 22:6n-3 (g/100 g total fatty acids) in sow plasma, colostrum and milk were increased and the proportion of 18:2n-6 was decreased by feeding tuna oil. Piglet tissue n-3 fatty acid proportions (particularly 22:6n-3), obtained shortly after birth, were increased in piglets born to tuna-oil-fed sows compared with progeny of soyabean-oil-fed sows. The increase in the proportion of n-3 fatty acids (g/100 g total fatty acids) in piglet tissues as a result of tuna-oil feeding, compared with soyabean-oil-feeding, was in the order plasma > liver > erythrocytes > spleen > brain > retina. Piglets born to tuna-oil-fed sows had a lower viability score at birth than the progeny of soyabean-oil-fed sows. The proportions of long-chain n-3 fatty acid in tissues of new-born piglets were increased by feeding tuna oil to the sow in late pregnancy; however no improvements in piglet viability were observed.
authors.affiliation: Animal Biology Division, SAC, Aberdeen, UK. j.rooke@ab.sac.ac.uk
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rooke
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Bland
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism*; D001823:Body Composition; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005865:Gestational Age; D007774:Lactation / Q000378:metabolism; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013025:Glycine max; D013552:Swine / Q000378:metabolism*; D014413:Tuna
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D010938:Plant Oils