ON THE UTILIZATION, RETENTION AND STATUS OF VITAMIN-E IN MINK (MUSTELA-VISON) UNDER DIETARY OXIDATIVE STRESS

Sixteen male scanblack mink kits were challenged for a period of 8 wee ks with a diet containing high levels of dietary PUFA (25% of dietary fat, peroxide value: 473 mequ O2/kg fat) derived from whole minced mac kerel. The selenium content of the experimental diet was sufficient (0 .33 ppm). After intake of increasing amounts of dl-alpha-tocopheryl ac etate (0, 14.3, 28.6 and 57.2 mg/mJ ME) the apparent digestibility, re tention as well as status of vitamin E were determined. The apparent d igestibility of alpha-tocopherol decreased from 77% to 60% with increa sing dietary alpha- tocopherol concentrations from 14.3 to 57.2 mg/MJ ME. In vitamin E deficient group the dietary treatment resulted in ste atosis rather than in myodegeneration, degeneration of the myocardium and sudden death. The results obtained from this study lead to the con clusion, that mink are quite resistent to dietary oxidative stress. Vi tamin E concentrations of 14.3 mg/MJ ME corresponding to 83 mg dl-alph a-tocopheryl acetate/kg diet were adequate in order to prevent all sig ns of steatosis. This fact indicates that the allowances for vitamin E supplementation in mink under practical feeding conditions are suffic ient.