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So far sow diets have been composed with regard to protein, vitamins, minerals and energy demands, while the needs for n-3 essential fatty acids (FA) in animal nutrition have not been fully recognised. However, it is well established that the maintenance of optimal pre- and postnatal growth and development requires n-3 PUFA. In fact, PUFA are essential for the development of the nervous system in animals. The aim of the study was to investigate how fat content and FA composition in sows’ diet influence FA composition in brain of newborn and in liver and brain of one-day-old piglets, respectively. In the experiment 39 litters from multiparous Swedish Yorkshire sows were used, from weaning of the previous litter until weaning of the experimental litter. Dietary treatments consisted of four cereal based diets (with soy as protein enhancement) with a conventional low fat (LF) (3 %) sow diet and three high fat (6 %) diets; High fat saturated (HFS), high fat oats (HFO), rich in linoleic acid (LA), and high fat linseed (HFL), rich in α-linolenic acid (ALA). The ratio n-6/n-3 PUFA was 11 in all three diets (LF, HFS and HFO diets), while the ratio in the HFL diet was 2.
Increased proportion of ALA in the diet increased (P < 0.05) ALA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in piglets’ neutral and polar liver lipids and the long chain PUFA, EPA, docosapentaenoic (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in piglet brain. The results show the possibility to increase liver n-3 of piglets by adding ALA to sows feed. In parallel, increased proportions of DPA and DHA in brain (P < 0.001) indicates that including a certain ALA proportion in sows diet can influence brain long-chain PUFA composition of piglets after birth.
Further, the results show that the FA transport from sow to piglet differs for different FA. While ALA is transported preferably via milk, DHA probably is rather transported via bloodstream in the uterus. The difference in the n-6/n-3 ratio in the sows’ diet and the consequent difference in the different tissues of piglets as demonstrated in the present experiment indicates that a balance between the essential FA LA and ALA might be of importance for piglet survival.
S Sampels, J Pickova, A Högberg and M Neil, 2011. Physiological Research, 60: 113-124 .
