QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Van Saun, R. J. Articles by Stowe, H. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Van Saun, R. J. Articles by Stowe, H. D.

Maternal and Fetal Vitamin E Concentrations and Selenium-Vitamin E Interrelationships in Dairy Cattle¹

Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824

Paired dam-fetus liver and serum samples were collected from 101 pregnant dairy cattle at slaughter to determine mean fetal and maternal liver and serum vitamin E concentrations, relationships between maternal and fetal vitamin E status and interrelationships between selenium and vitamin E status. Fetal age was estimated from fetal crown-to-rump length. Fetal -tocopherol concentration ranged from 0 to 31.4 µg/g dry wt with a mean of 7.1 µg/g dry wt and from 0 to 0.92 µg/ml with a mean of 0.29 µg/ml for liver and serum, respectively. Mean maternal liver (12.5 µg/g dry wt) and serum (2.16 µg/ml) -tocopherol concentrations and vitamin E to cholesterol ratio (1.45) were 1.8, 7.4 and 3.5 times greater (P < 0.0001) than fetal means, indicating limited placental transfer of vitamin E to the fetus. Gestational age had no effect on maternal vitamin E concentration, however, fetal tissue -tocopherol concentration declined (P < 0.05) with fetal age. Maternal serum -tocopherol concentration and fetal age were found to best predict fetal -tocopherol concentration in serum. Interrelationships between selenium and vitamin E status were minimal. These data suggest inefficient placental transfer of vitamin E, resulting in minimal protection of the neonate from vitamin E-deficiency disease as a result of prepartal maternal supplementation.

KEY WORDS: • vitamin E • selenium • placental transfer • dairy cattle

¹ Research presented to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of M.S. degree.

² Current address and reprint requests: Department of Animal Science, 223 Morrison Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850

Manuscript received 11 October 1988. Revision accepted 7 April 1989.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. P. Waller, C. H. Sandgren, U. Emanuelson, and S. K. Jensen Supplementation of RRR-{alpha}-Tocopheryl Acetate to Periparturient Dairy Cows in Commercial Herds with High Mastitis Incidence J Dairy Sci, August 1, 2007; 90(8): 3640 - 3646. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]