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Iron and Folate Utilization in Reproducing Swine and Their Progeny^{1 ,2}

Deborah L. O'Connor^*,,3, Mary Frances Picciano^*,,4, Mark A. Roos and Robert A. Easter^,

^* School of Human Resources and Family Studies Division of Nutritional Sciences Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the usefulness of maternal and neonatal swine as animal models for studying iron (Fe) and folate nutrition during reproduction and growth. Sows (n = 18) were fed a purified diet containing 0.6 mg folate/kg diet and either 25 (Fe-) or 125 (Fe+) mg iron/kg diet throughout gestation and lactation. Litters were culled to eight on d 2 of lactation and four piglets/litter were given an intramuscular injection of iron dextran (100 mg/kg body wt). Plasma and red blood cell folate concentrations among all sows decreased (>50%) after conception (P < 0.001). Plasma folate concentration of Fe- sows was 47% and 69% of Fe+ sows on d 7 and 21 of lactation, respectively (P < 0.05). All sows secreted milk that contained low levels of folate (12–36 nmol/l) and was devoid of long-chain folylpolyglutamates. While mean milk folate concentration significantly decreased after d 1 of lactation among Fe- sows, no such decrease was observed in milk from Fe+ sows (P < 0.05). Liver folate concentration was significantly reduced in piglets nursed by Fe- sows and given intramuscular iron dextran. It is concluded that there is an increased dietary requirement for folate and iron during reproduction in swine, and that current recommended amounts of folate (0.6 mg/kg diet) and iron (80 mg/kg diet) may be underestimates of requirements for reproduction. Further, results show that iron nutrition may alter folate utilization in maternal and neonatal swine.

KEY WORDS: • iron • folate • pregnancy • lactation • swine

¹ Supported in part by U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Competitive Grant AG84-CRCR-1-1493 and the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station.

² Presented in part at the 1988 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology meeting, Las Vegas, NV. O'Connor, D. L., Picciano, M. F., Roos, M. A., Sherman, A. R. and Easter, R. A. (1988) Folate utilization in reproducing swine and their progeny in the presence and absence of supplemental iron. FASEB J. 2(5): A1092.

³ Present address: Applied Human Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1.

⁴ To whom reprint requests should be sent.

Manuscript received 9 December 1988. Revision accepted 22 June 1989.

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