Influence of dietary vitamin E and C supplementation on vitamin E and C content and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in different tissues of growing pigs

Abstract

To investigate the influence and possible interactions of dietary vitamin E and C supplementation on vitamin content of both vitamins and oxidative stability of different pork tissues 40 Large White barrows from 25 kg to 106 kg were allocated to four different cereal based diets: Basal diet (B), dl-alpha-tocopherylacetate + 200 mg/kg (E), crystalline ascorbic acid + 300 mg/kg (C) or both vitamins (EC). At slaughtering samples of liver, spleen, heart, kidney, backfat outer layer, ham and M. tongissimus dorsi were obtained. Growth performance of the pigs and carcass characteristics were not influenced by feeding treatments. Dietary vitamin E supplementation had a significant effect on the vitamin E and alpha-tocopherol concentration in all investigated tissues. Backfat outer layer, liver, spleen, kidney and heart had higher vitamin E concentrations than ham and M. longissimus dorsi. Dietary vitamin C supplementation tended towards enhanced vitamin E levels except for ham samples. Therefore, some synergistic actions without dietary vitamin E supplementation between the two vitamins could be shown. The vitamin C concentration and TBARS were increased or at least equal in all tissues due to vitamin C supplementation. Dietary alpha-tocopherol supplementation resulted in lower TBARS in backfat outer layer (malondialdehyde 0.35 mg/kg in B vs. 0.28 mg/kg in E), but increased in heart and ham. When both vitamins were supplemented (EC) TBARS were lower in M. longissimus dorsi and backfat outer layer, equal in heart and higher in liver and ham compared to a single vitamin C supplementation. Rancimat induction time of backfat outer layer was 0.3 h higher in C compared to B and 0.17 h higher in EC than in E. Correlations between levels of both vitamins were positive for kidney (r = 0.169), M. longissimus dorsi (r = 0.499) and ham (r = 0.361) and negative for heart (r = -0.350). In liver and spleen no interaction could be found. In backfat outer layer vitamin E was positively correlated with rancimat induction time (r = 0.550) and negatively with TBARS (r = -0.202), but provided no evidence that dietary vitamin E supply led to better oxidative stability.

Effects of dietary vitamin E (DL-α-tocopheryl acetate) and vitamin C combination on piglets oxidative status and immune response at weaning

“…Gebert et al (2006) also found a lack of response of the dietary supplementation with vitamin C and E mixture on TBARS in growing pigs from 25-105 kg. In other study in which dietary vitamin E and/or C were combined (Eichenberger et al, 2004), dietary vitamin C resulted in higher TBARS whereas the combination of these vitamins reduced the TBARS production in longissimus dorsi muscle. In contrast, Lo Fiego et al (2004) found that in rabbits 500 ppm of dietary vitamin C increased lipid stability of longissimus dorsi when the dietary vitamin E data presented as mean and root-mean-square error (RMSE); *α -tocopherol concentration was determined at 28 days from two piglets per pen dose was 40 ppm.…”

“…Most of the studies in which the effects of both vitamins were examined aimed to improve meat quality parameters and lipid stability in growing pigs or during the fattening phase (Eichenberger et al, 2004;Gebert et al, 2006;Peeters et al, 2006). In a recent study conducted on piglets to prevent stress effects, it was found that the usage of both vitamins with Eleutherococcus senticosus extract may be useful to improve performance parameters (Bekenev et al, 2015).…”

The effect of vitamin C supplementation in healthy dogs on antioxidative capacity and immune parameters

“…Vitamin C may also increase the antioxidant activity of vitamin E. In this system, vitamin E probably acts as a primary antioxidant and vitamin C may then regenerate the produced vitamin E radical (Wenk et al., 2000). In this way, the regenerated vitamin E molecule is again available for antioxidative action or it can be stored (Packer et al., 1979; Eichenberger et al., 2004).…”

Effects of vitamin E supplementation on renal non-enzymatic antioxidants in young rats submitted to exhaustive exercise stress

“…Furthermore, vitamin E supplementation was already shown to present benefic effects on renal non-enzymatic antioxidants, it maintained renal vitamin E and reduced glutathione levels in rats exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls [28]. …”