Pre- and postnatal transfer of vitamins E and C to piglets in sows supplemented with vitamin E and vitamin C

This experiment investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of vitamin E and vitamin C on sow reproductive performance and transfer of vitamin E to piglets via the placenta, colostrum and milk. A total of 58 sows were allocated to the following treatment diets: control, vitamin C 1 g/day, vitamin C 10 g/day, vitamin E 200 mg/kg feed, vitamin E 400 mg/kg fed, and vitamins E and C (vitamin E 200 mg/kg feed + vitamin C 1 g/day). Piglet weight on days 0 and 21, litter size, piglets live on d-0 and d-21 were recorded. Vitamin E and vitamin C were determined in sow serum throughout the experiment (d-0, d-60, d-103 and 21 days after farrowing (F+21)), in colostrum, milk and piglet serum (cord blood) and vitamin E in placenta. Vitamin E and vitamin C had no effect (P > 0.05) on piglet growth performance and sow reproductive performance. Vitamin E supplementation significantly increased the vitamin E content of sow serum, colostrum, milk and piglet serum at birth; effects of vitamin C supplementation were less consistent. Vitamin E content in piglet serum at birth was significantly correlated r=0.39 (P < 0.05) with the vitamin E content of placenta, and also with sow serum vitamin E concentration on day 103, r=0.52 (P < 0.01). Placental vitamin E concentrations were low but were increased by dietary vitamin E supplementation. These results provide evidence for only limited placental transfer of vitamin E but in utero concentration of vitamin C on the foetal side of the placenta. For both vitamins the efficiency of placental transfer decreased as maternal serum vitamin concentrations increased. The main supply of these vitamins to the newborn piglet was via the mammary gland rather than the placenta. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.