Tissue-specific fatty acid and alpha-tocopherol profiles in male chickens depending on dietary tuna oil and vitamin E provision

Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, SAC, Auchincruive, Ayr, Scotland. P.Surai@au.sac.ac.uk

The beneficial health-promoting effects of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the n-3 series make them important constituents of human and animal diets. The effects of tuna oil or a combination of tuna oil with an increased level of vitamin E on the fatty acid profile and vitamin E distribution in tissues taken from cockerels were studied. Male chickens (Ross broiler breeders), penned on white wood shavings, were allocated into one of three groups with 12 birds per group and were fed from 10 wk of age on a commercial diet supplemented with 3% corn oil (control) or with 3% Tuna orbital oil (TO). Vitamin E was added at the rate of 40 mg/ kg, except in the third group in which the birds received a diet containing TO (3%) supplemented with 160 mg/kg vitamin E (TO+E). At 72 wk of age, the cockerels were killed, and tissues (liver, testes, heart, lung, kidney, spleen, thigh muscle, pancreas, internal fat, cerebellum, and cerebrum) were dissected for lipid and vitamin E analyses. Inclusion of TO in the cockerel diets significantly (P < 0.01) increased docosahexanoic acid (DHA) proportions in the major lipid fractions of the tissues with the brain being more resistant to lipid manipulation compared with the other tissues. Tissue enrichment with DHA took place at the expense of a decrease of n-6 PUFA. In the DHA-enriched tissues, vitamin E level decreased (P < 0.05), and susceptibility to peroxidation (TBARS accumulation) significantly (P < 0.01) increased. High vitamin E supplementation (160 mg/kg) in combination with TO prevented decrease of alpha-tocopherol concentration in the tissues and normalized or even increased their resistance to lipid peroxidation. There was tissue-specificity in response to dietary vitamin E supplementation; the liver was most responsive and the cerebellum was most resistant to vitamin E manipulation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. L. Palmquist Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Metabolism, Health, and Nutrition and for Modified Animal Product Foods Professional Animal Scientist, June 1, 2009; 25(3): 207 - 249. [Abstract] [PDF]

				Z. G. Wang, X. J. Pan, Z. Q. Peng, R. Q. Zhao, and G. H. Zhou Methionine and selenium yeast supplementation of the maternal diets affects color, water-holding capacity, and oxidative stability of their male offspring meat at the early stage Poult. Sci., May 1, 2009; 88(5): 1096 - 1101. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Villaverde, M. D. Baucells, E. G. Manzanilla, and A. C. Barroeta High Levels of Dietary Unsaturated Fat Decrease {alpha}-Tocopherol Content of Whole Body, Liver, and Plasma of Chickens Without Variations in Intestinal Apparent Absorption Poult. Sci., March 1, 2008; 87(3): 497 - 505. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Goni, A. Brenes, C. Centeno, A. Viveros, F. Saura-Calixto, A. Rebole, I. Arija, and R. Estevez Effect of Dietary Grape Pomace and Vitamin E on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, and Susceptibility to Meat Lipid Oxidation in Chickens Poult. Sci., March 1, 2007; 86(3): 508 - 516. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Bou, S. Grimpa, F. Guardiola, A. C. Barroeta, and R. Codony Effects of Various Fat Sources, {alpha}-Tocopheryl Acetate, and Ascorbic Acid Supplements on Fatty Acid Composition and {alpha}-Tocopherol Content in Raw and Vacuum-Packed, Cooked Dark Chicken Meat Poult. Sci., August 1, 2006; 85(8): 1472 - 1481. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y.-F. Lin, H.-L. Tsai, Y.-C. Lee, and S.-J. Chang Maternal Vitamin E Supplementation Affects the Antioxidant Capability and Oxidative Status of Hatching Chicks J. Nutr., October 1, 2005; 135(10): 2457 - 2461. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]