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The Vitamin E Distribution in Serum, Liver, Adipose and Muscle Tissues in the Pig during Depletion and Repletion

Ε vitaminets fördelning i olika vävnader hos gris under en period av utamning respektive tillskott

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 31, pages 129–136 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the storage capacity for vitamin E in liver, adipose tissue and skeletal muscle of growing pigs during a period of supplementation and of depletion. Therefore, biopsy specimens of these tissues and samples of serum were frequently taken from 7 pigs throughout the experimental period.

After a 7-week period on a diet highly supplemented with vitamin E (405 mg/kg), a significant increase (p < 0.001) in the concentration of this vitamin was observed in all tissues sampled. The highest level (102.9±26.2 mg/kg) was observed in the liver. After 2 days of depletion the concentration of vitamin E in the liver had fallen by 80%, whereas the concentration in the fat and muscle remained unchanged during 1 week of depletion.

The serum vitamin E value rose significantly (p < 0.001) after 1 week on the supplemented diet and then remained at about 7 mg/1 throughout the supplementation period and decreased (p < 0.001) after 2 days on a nonsupplemented diet. Generally, the serum vitamin E levels among growing pigs are between 2 and 3 mg/1. The results show that the serum and liver values were correlated when the serum level was within this range. Moreover, it is clearly demonstrated that the concentrations of vitamin E in serum and liver reflect the immediate nutritional status of the animal, whereas the vitamin concentrations in adipose and skeletal muscle tissue reflect its long-term nutritional history.

Sammenfatning

Denna studie syftar tili att bestämma lagringskapaciteten för vitamin Ε i lever, fettvävnad och skelettmu-skulatur hos växande grisar. Djuren erhöh en basal diet med eller utan E-vitamintillskott (405 mg/kg foder). Under försöksperioden togs frekventa vävnads- och serumprover. E-vitamininnehållet i dessa bestämdes med hjalp av HPLC. Det konstateras att levern har störst formåga at inlagra vitamin E. Ett samband melian E-vitaminkoncentrationen i lever och serum föreligger då E-vitaminhalten i serum är melian 1-3 mg/l. Leverkoncentrationen kan således beräknas utifrån analyserade serumvärden.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Surgery and Department of Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P. O. Box 7018, S-75007, Uppsala, Sweden

    Marianne Jensen, Arne Lindholm & Juhani Hakkarainen

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  1. Marianne Jensen
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  2. Arne Lindholm
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  3. Juhani Hakkarainen
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Jensen, M., Lindholm, A. & Hakkarainen, J. The Vitamin E Distribution in Serum, Liver, Adipose and Muscle Tissues in the Pig during Depletion and Repletion. Acta Vet Scand 31, 129–136 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547553

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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147