Effect of vitamin E supplementation on immune status and α-tocopherol in plasma of piglets

― Twelve (Yorkshire) gilts were assigned to 2 dietary fat supplement groups 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 o!-a-tocopherol acetate/kg of feed.Colostrum (d 0) and milk (7, 14, 21 and 28 d post partum) were sampled from gilts.At farrowing 3 piglets from each gilt of both groups were injected with a-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.a-Tocopherol concentration in the colostrum of gilts was significantly higher than in the milk.Plasma a-tocopherol concentrations and antibody titres to Keyhole limpet haemocyanin of piglets injected with vitamin E were significantly higher than the control piglets.Vitamin E injected piglets had significantly higher a-tocopherol concentrations in spleen, liver, kid- ney, heart, lung and hip muscle than the control piglets.vitamin E I immune status I dietary fat I piglet Résumé ― Effet de la vitamine E sur l'état immunitaire et sur la concentration en vitamine E plas-* CFAR contribution No 2290 les porcelets injectés avec de la vitamine E que chez les témoins.Les porcelets traités à la vitamine E avaient également des concentrations plus fortes en vitamine E dans la rate, le foie, les reins, le cc!ur, les poumons et les muscles de la cuisse que les témoins.vitamine E l état immunitaire / matière grasse alimentaire / porcelet