MARGINAL COPPER AND IRON SUPPLY ON PIGS . 2. INFLUENCE ON FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION IN VARIOUS TISSUES

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of a deficient copper and iron supply on the fatty acid composition of vari ous tissues in pigs. An experiment was conducted with 4 x 12 growing p igs of the crossbreed Pietrain x Deutsche Landrasse. The animals were fed for a period of 119 days with a diet poor of copper (1.5 mg Cu/kg diet) and/or poor of iron (35mg Fe/kg diet). Control animals were supp lied adequately with copper (4.8 mg Cu/kg diet) and iron (85 mg Fe/kg diet). The diet was given according to weight. The copper and iron sup ply can be characterized as marginal due to a former report of this st udy. The total lipid and cholesterol content in serum, erythrocytes, l iver and backfat was not influenced due to marginal copper and iron su pply. Only in muscle there was a slightly reduction in these parameter s. Marginal copper supply had no striking effect on the fatty acid com position in all examined tissues. After marginal iron supply there wer e some changes in the fatty acid composition in serum, erythrocytes an d muscle. Saturated fatty acids raised due to declined monoenoic fatty acids, which is concluded as a reduced Delta-9 desaturation.