PLASMA AND TISSUE CONCENTRATIONS OF VITAMIN-E FOLLOWING SUPPLEMENTATION OF 2 FORMS OF VITAMIN-E IN SHEEP

Twenty-five lambs were used to determine the plasma and tissue concent rations of vitamin E after oral supplementation of two forms and in tw o doses, Five lambs were assigned to each of the following treatments: (1) control, no supplemental vitamin E, (2) 500 IU of DL-alpha-tocoph erol, (3) 500 IU of D-alpha-tocopherol, (4) 1000 IU of DL-alpha-tocoph erol, and (5) 1000 IU of D-alpha-tocopherol, Animals were supplemented daily with either 500 or 1000 IU of their respective vitamin E source s for 28 consecutive days, Blood samples were collected twice a week u ntil Day 28, Animals were subsequently slaughtered at Day 28 and ten d ifferent tissues were collected for alpha-tocopherol analysis, All sup plemented groups were higher in plasma alpha-tocopherol concentration than the control. When sheep were dosed with 500 IU there was a tenden cy for higher plasma concentration following D-alpha-tocopherol than D L-alpha-tocopherol administration and this difference became significa nt after 1000 IU dosing (P < 0.05), Tissue alpha-tocopherol concentrat ions for all treatment groups were higher than those of control, Acros s all treatments, the highest alpha-tocopherol concentrations were not ed in liver and pancreas and the lowest in neck and hip muscle, Result s of this study suggested that in lambs blood and liver concentrations of vitamin E were higher following supplementation of D-alpha-tocophe rol than with DL-alpha-tocopherol. Supplementation of vitamin E result ed in accumulation of different levels of alpha-tocopherol in differen t organs.