ABSTRACT
1. Restriction of food to ewes bearing twin lambs showed a trend to decrease the level of omega 6 fatty acids in muscle phospholipids of the foetus though this was not significant statistically (P less than 0.05). 2. There was a significant increase in the fatty acid ratio, 20:3 omega 9:20:4 omega 6 in the twin lambs as compared with single lambs. 3. There were no symptoms of polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency.
Subject(s)
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/metabolism , Fetus/metabolism , Sheep/metabolism , Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Animals , Female , Litter Size , Maternal-Fetal Exchange , Muscles/metabolism , Phospholipids/metabolism , PregnancyABSTRACT
1. The fatty acid composition of milk fat of Coopworth sheep offered varying pasture allowances has been determined after 1, 14, 35 d of lactation. Differences in fatty acids occurred, particularly between 1 and 14 d, with a major increase in C18:0 whilst C16:0, C14:0 and C18:3 showed decreases. 2. When pasture allowances were restricted there were decreases in the short-chain fatty acids from C6 to C14 and an increase in C18:1 as has been observed previously for cattle. The C18:1: C10 value is a convenient measure of these changes and can be determined more rapidly than determining all the lower fatty acids. 3. The increased demand for milk resulting from suckling twin lambs caused an increase in C18:1 and decreased in C10 and C12 due to an increased utilization of body reserves. 4. The level of linoleic acid was much greater than has been previously observed in sheep given hay and contributes to the rapid rise in linoleic acid levels in lambs born under grazing conditions.
Subject(s)
Eating , Fatty Acids/analysis , Milk/analysis , Sheep/physiology , Animals , Body Weight , Female , Lactation , Litter Size , Pregnancy , Time FactorsSubject(s)
Fetus/physiology , Sheep/physiology , Animals , Body Weight , Female , Fetus/anatomy & histology , Growth , Models, Biological , PregnancySubject(s)
Sheep/embryology , Animals , Brain Chemistry , DNA/analysis , Female , Fetus , Growth , Kidney/analysis , Muscles/analysis , Myocardium/analysis , Organ Size , Pregnancy , Proteins/analysis , RNA/analysisABSTRACT
The effects of pre-partum intravenous injections of vitamin A alcohol and vitamin palmitate on vitamin A levels in the plasma and livers of newborn lambs and in colostrum were studied with twenty mature Romney ewes. Injecting ewes with 250000 IU of vitamin A alcohol significantly (P less than .05) increased vitamin A levels in the blood (77%) and livers (75%) of newborn lambs. Differences between effect of vitamin A alcohol and vitamin A palmitate on either blood or liver levels in lambs were not significant. Transfer of injected vitamin A to lamb liver was inefficient (0.37% for palmitate, 0.12% for alcohol). There was 52% more vitamin A in colostrum from alcohol-injected than from palmitate-injected ewes. Although consistent with a postulation of preferential mammary transfer of vitamin A alcohol, this difference was not statistically significant (P greater than .05).
