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. 2020 Dec;33(12):1985-1990.
doi: 10.5713/ajas.19.0987. Epub 2020 Apr 12.

Distribution of injected fat-soluble vitamins in plasma and tissues of nursery pigs

Young Dal Jang  1 , Mikayla J Rotering  1 , Paige K Isensee  1 , Kirsten A Rinholen  1 , Carli J Boston-Denton  1 , Paige G Kelley  1 , Robert L Stuart  2
Affiliations

Distribution of injected fat-soluble vitamins in plasma and tissues of nursery pigs

Young Dal Jang et al. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci. 2020 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of fat-soluble vitamin injection on plasma and tissue vitamin status in nursery pigs.

Methods: A total of 16 pigs (initial body weight: 7.15±1.1 kg) were allotted to 2 treatments at d 7 post-weaning. Pigs were fed a corn-soybean meal-based basal diet with no supplemental vitamin A and i.m. injected with 300,000 IU of retinyl palmitate, 900 IU of d-α-tocopherol and 30,000 IU of vitamin D3 with control pigs having no vitamin injection. Blood (d 0, 3, 7, and 14 post-injection) and tissue samples (liver, brain, heart, lung, and muscle; d 7 and 14 post-injection) were collected from pigs. Retinyl palmitate, retinol, and α-tocopherol concentrations were analyzed in plasma and tissues, while plasma was assayed for 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OHD3).

Results: Plasma retinol and 25-OHD3 concentrations increased by the vitamin injection from d 3 to 14 post-injection (p<0.05) whereas plasma retinyl palmitate was detected only in the vitamin treatment at d 3 and 7 post-injection (115.51 and 4.97 μg/mL, respectively). Liver retinol, retinyl palmitate, and retinol+retinyl palmitate concentrations increased by retinyl palmitate injection at d 7 and 14 post-injection (p<0.05) whereas those were not detected in the other tissues. The d-α-tocopherol injection increased α-tocopherol concentrations in plasma at d 3 and 7 post-injection (p<0.05) and in liver, heart (p<0.10), and muscle (p<0.05) at d 7 post-injection.

Conclusion: Fat-soluble vitamin injection increased plasma status of α-tocopherol, retinol, retinyl palmitate and 25-OHD3. As plasma levels decreased post-injection, vitamin A level in liver and vitamin E level in muscle, heart and liver increased. The α-tocopherol found in plasma after injection was distributed to various tissues but retinyl palmitate only to the liver.

Keywords: Fat-soluble Vitamins; Injection; Nursery Pigs; Plasma; Tissue Concentrations.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

We certify that there is no conflict of interest with any financial organization regarding the material discussed in the manuscript. Robert L. Stuart is an employee of Stuart Products Inc..

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