Effect of dietary linoleic to linolenic acid ratio and vitamin E supplementation on vitamin E status of poults.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of dietary linoleic to linolenic acid (LO:LN) ratio and dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (TA) supplementation on selected characteristics of the liver and cerebellum and on vitamin E status of turkey poults from hatch through 22 d of age. In Experiment 1, 1-d-old poults were fed diets containing no supplemental TA (0E) or 150 IU TA/kg diet (150E). Poults fed the 150E diet had greater (P < 0.001) concentrations of alpha-tocopherol (TOC) in the liver and plasma than those fed the 0E diet from 7 to 22 d of age. The 150E diet, however, did not completely overcome the decrease in liver and plasma TOC concentrations observed at these ages. The 150E diet had no effect on poult BW, feed efficiency, or on the weight, protein, lipid, or fatty acid concentrations of the liver. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay of liver and hemolysis assay of red blood cells (RBC) showed that the 150E diet decreased the susceptibility of liver and RBC to in vitro peroxidation at 13 and 22 d of age. In Experiment 2, 1-d-old poults were fed the 0E and 150E diets in a complete factorial arrangement with decreasing ratios of LO:LN (10, 5, and 1). Dietary LO:LN ratio had no effect on RBC hemolysis or cerebellum TOC concentration. As the ratio of LO:LN decreased, the arachidonic acid content of liver and cerebellum lipids decreased. Ratios of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids in liver and cerebellum were directly related to dietary LO:LN at 13 and 22 d of age.