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Articles

Liver L-Gulonolactone Oxidase Activity and Tissue Ascorbic Acid Concentrations in Nursing Pigs and the Effect of Various Weaning Ages^{1 ,2}

San Ching^*, Donald C. Mahan^*3 and Konrad Dabrowski

^* Department of Animal Sciences, School of Natural Resources, The Ohio State University and The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Columbus, OH 43210-1094

³To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mahan.3{at}osu.edu.

In Experiment 1, we evaluated liver L-gulono--lactone oxidase (GLO) activity and tissue concentration of ascorbic acid in young pigs from birth to weaning (14 d) and through a 28-d postweaning period; in Experiment 2, we evaluated the effect of three weaning ages on these measurements. Sow colostrum and milk collected in both experiments demonstrated a linear decline (P < 0.01) in ascorbic acid concentration as lactation progressed. In Experiment 1, three pigs were killed at 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 d of age for determining liver GLO activity and serum and tissue ascorbic acid. Liver GLO activity decreased by 80% from 0 to 3 d of age and remained low until d 14 (weaning). After weaning, liver GLO activity increased linearly (P < 0.01). Tissue ascorbic acid concentrations decreased during the nursing period and again after weaning, but then increased to 42 d of age (P < 0.01). In Experiment 2, pigs were weaned at 10, 17 or 24 d of age. Three pigs from each group were killed at weaning and at each week postweaning until 38 d of age. Liver GLO activity was low during the nursing period but increased linearly (P < 0.01) for each group during the subsequent postweaning period. Pig serum and tissue ascorbic acid concentrations increased postweaning in each group. These results suggest that a factor in sow’s milk, possibly ascorbic acid, suppressed liver GLO activity of nursing pigs but upon weaning, liver GLO activity of pigs increased in a linear manner (P < 0.01).

KEY WORDS: • L-gulonolactone oxidase • ascorbic acid • nursing • weaning • pigs