Effect of feeding tuna oil or soyabean oil as supplements to sows in late pregnancy on piglet tissue composition and viability

• Published in: British journal of nutrition 1998-09, Vol.80 (3), p.273-280
• Main Authors: Rooke, J. A., Bland, I. M., Edwards, S. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Feed; Animals; Animals, Newborn - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition; Dietary Supplements; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - metabolism; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fish Oils - administration & dosage; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gestational Age; Glycine max; Lactation - metabolism; Milk - chemistry; Pig; Placenta - metabolism; Plant Oils - administration & dosage; Pregnancy; Swine - metabolism; Tissue fatty acids; Tuna; Tuna oil; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114598001329

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.