EFFECT OF VITAMIN-E SUPPLEMENTATION ON IMMUNE STATUS AND ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL IN PLASMA OF PIGLETS

Twelve (Yorkshire) gilts were assigned to 2 dietary fat supplement gro ups starting at 57 d of gestation. Group 1 received no fat and Group 2 was supplemented with 5% Canola oil. Each group was supplemented with 0.1 ppm Se and 22 IU of DL-alpha-tocopherol acetate/kg of feed. Colos trum (d 0) and milk (7, 14, 21 and 28 d post partum) were sampled from gifts. At farrowing 3 piglets from each gilt of both groups were inje cted with alpha-tocopherol at birth (500 IU) and at 7 and 14 d (1 000 IU) of age and 3 piglets were injected with saline and used as control . Blood samples were taken from the newborn piglets at birth and at 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 d of age. alpha-Tocopherol concentration in the col ostrum of gilts was significantly higher than in the milk. Plasma alph a-tocopherol concentrations and antibody titres to Keyhole limpet haem ocyanin of piglets injected with vitamin E were significantly higher t han the control piglets. Vitamin E injected piglets had significantly higher alpha-tocopherol concentrations in spleen, liver, kidney, heart , lung and hip muscle than the control piglets.