Tocopherol Supplementation Research Articles

Hepatoprotective effects of glycine and vitamin E, during the early phase of liver regeneration in the rat

Our objective was to demonstrate the protective effect of glycine (Gly) and vitamin E (VE) on a model of ethanol-induced acute liver injury during the early phase of liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH) in rats. Fifty male Wistar rats (body weight (b.w.), 240 - 280 g) were divided into four groups (n = 10, each, respectively) as follows: 1) control partial hepatectomy (PH), 70%; 2) PH + ethanol (EtOH) at 1.5 g/kg b.w; 3) PH + Gly (0.6 g/kg b.w) + EtOH, and; 4) PH + VE (400 International units [IU]) + EtOH. Twenty four h after surgery, animals were killed and liver damage and oxidative stress parameters were measured. Ethanol caused a decrease in serum albumin (2.27 vs 3.12 g/dL; p < 0.05), cholesterol (31.4 vs 48.0 mg/dL; p < 0.05), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST, 70 vs 380 UI; p< 0.05), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT, 110 vs 170 UI; p < 0.05) in comparison with the PH control group, but these decreases were reverted with either Gly or VE administration. Furthermore, Gly and VE administration decreased (p < 0.05) Thiobarbituric acid reactive (TBARS) levels, stimulated superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and a significant restitution of liver weight was observed. Our results suggested a protective effect against liver injury with glycine and VE supplementation. Treatment with either Gly or VE causes an elevation in total SOD activity and a decrease in TBARS levels, showing a protective effect in liver regeneration on a model of ethanol-induced acute liver injury after PH in rats. Key words: Antioxidants, ethanol-induced liver injury, free radicals, glycine, liver regeneration, vitamin E.

Effect of Vitamin E on Learning and Memory Deficit in Aged Rats

In order to verify whether vitamin E improves the cognitive impairment induced through aging, aged rats fed a vitamin E-supplemented diet had their learning and memory functions assessed in comparison with the aged rats fed a normal diet using a Morris water maze test. Although normal aged rats showed very poor learning ability concerning the place of a platform in the water maze apparatus, the aged rats fed the vitamin E-supplemented diet learned the place with a marked speed in only 5 trials. After old animals showed the maximum learning ability, they were kept in a normal atmosphere for 48 h without a trial followed by an assessment of their memory function using the same apparatus. The vitamin E-supplementation to aged rats resulted in marked retention of their maximum memory function, although normal aged rats showed a significant memory loss of about 60%. Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), which increases in the production of nerve growth factor, and protects neurons, had a similar effect on cognitive function to that of vitamin E in the aged rats. These results suggest that vitamin E may improve cognitive deficit caused through aging by not only its neuro-protecting effect but an antioxidant efficacy.

Effect of selenium and vitamin E supplementation during the late pregnancy on reproductive indices and milk production in heifers

A trial was performed to determine the effects of supplementation of selenium (Se) and vitamin E (VE) on reproductive indices and milk production in Holstein heifers. Sixty heifers at the late stage of gestation were randomly assigned into three groups. Heifers were balanced for age, weight and time of calving. Four and 2 weeks before expected calving the heifers were injected 0 ml (C), 20 ml (T1), and 40 ml (T2) Se and VE supplements. Each ml contained 0.5 mg Se and 50 IU of d, l-alpha-tocopheryl acetate. Blood samples were collected from heifers 4 weeks before expected calving and at calving day. Se concentrations in serum and colostrums were measured. The reproductive parameters were recorded. The effects of Se and VE supplements on somatic cell count (SCC) and milk yield also were measured. Supplementation of Se increased the level of Se in serum of treated heifers at calving day ( P < 0.05). Se concentration of colostrums were affected by the treatments ( P < 0.05). Concerning reproductive performance of treated heifers; gestation length was similar among groups but in comparison with controls, T1 and T2 had no incidence of retained fetal membrane (i.e., beyond 12 h.). In addition, open days were fewer in T1 and T2 heifers and the number of services per conception was fewer in T2 compared with controls ( P > 0.05). Daily milk production at 8 weeks lactation was significantly increased in T2 compared with controls ( P < 0.05). Likewise, the milk SCC decreased in treated heifers compared with controls ( P < 0.05).

Effects of supplemental soybean oil and vitamin E on carcass quality and fatty acid profiles of meat in Huzhou lamb

This study was conducted to determine the effects of supplemental soybean oil (SBO) and vitamin E (VE) on carcass characteristics, serum metabolites, and fatty acid (FA) composition of longissimus muscle in Huzhou lambs. Totally, 24 male lambs were allocated to three dietary treatments: basal, 3% SBO, and 3% SBO plus 500 mg/kg VE supplemented diet (SOE). No differences were observed in carcass qualities among the three treatments. Contents of serum cholesterol, urea nitrogen, and non-esterified fatty acid increased, while glucose decreased significantly in SBO and SOE groups compared to control (P<0.05). The SBO and SOE diets increased the polyunsaturated fatty acids and cis 9 trans11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA; P<0.05), but the ratio of n-6 to n-3 was not effected. It is concluded that supplementation of SBO could increase CLAs, but no further increase may be expected by additional supplementation of VE.

Effect of Higher Levels of Dietary Vitamin E on Performance and Immune Response in Growing Japanese Quail

Biswas, A., Mohan, J., Sastry, K.V.H. and Tyagi, J.S. 2008. Effect of higher levels of dietary vitamin E on performance and immune responses in growing Japanese quail. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 33: 61–64. To study the effect of increasing dietary vitamin E (VE) on performance and immune response, 240 day old chicks were randomly selected and divided into 12 groups with 20 chicks in each group (3 dietary treatments × 4 replicates). The basal diet contained 15 IU VE/kg and the two experimental diets were supplemented with 150 IU and 300 IU VE/kg. Body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and mortality were not affected by VE supplementation. Antibody titres, response to intradermally injected phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and the relative weights of the bursa of Fabricius and thymus were significantly (P<0.05) higher after feeding the two VE-supplemented diets. It is concluded that VE supplementation improved immune response but not performance in growing Japanese quail.

Effect of Vitamin E Supplementation in the Low Density Lipoprotein Consentration and Histopatologic Changes of the Wistar Rats Aorta Given High Fat Diet

The aims of this research were: a) to determine the protective effect of vitamin E in the low density lipoprotein concentration and aorta , b) to give information, especially in the relationship between the high fat diet and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Twenty five male wistarrats weighing 200–250 grams at the age of 3 months were used in this study. Completely randomized design was implemented for thisexperiment. The rats were acclimated for a week and fed with CP 521 (basal). The rats were then randomly allotted into 5 groups, 5 sampleseach. The rats were fed basal (CP 521) as control (G I), high fat diet (CP 521 + palm oil 10%) + 50 IU vitamin E (G II), high fat diet fat + 100IU vitamin E (G III), high fat diet + 200 IU vitamin E (G IV) and high fat diet + 400 IU vitamin E (G V). Diets were given about 10% of bodyweigh and it’s fed up every day. Water was given ad libitum. Based on statistically analysis showed that very significance (P0,01) between thetreatment. Result indicated that given high fat diet + 400 IU vitamin E could apparently reduce LDL concentration, Lesion in the aortaconsisting of hemorrhagic and hyperemic were found in all rats receiving high fat diet supplemented with less than 400 IU vitamin E. The ratsreceiving high fat diet + 400 IU vitamin E (G V) the aorta were normal. It was concluded that the diet containing high fat and high vitamin Esupplementation (400 IU ration) in the diet could protected the incidence of atherosclerosis.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Key words: atherosclerosis, high fat diet, vitamin E,

Lifelongα-Tocopherol Supplementation Increases the Median Life Span of C57BL/6 Mice in the Cold but Has Only Minor Effects on Oxidative Damage

The effects of dietary antioxidant supplementation on oxidative stress and life span are confused. We maintained C57BL/6 mice at 7 +/- 2 degrees C and supplemented their diet with alpha-tocopherol from 4 months of age. Supplementation significantly increased (p = 0.042) median life span by 15% (785 days, n = 44) relative to unsupplemented controls (682 days, n = 43) and also increased maximum life span (oldest 10%, p = 0.028). No sex or sex by treatment interaction effects were observed on life span, with treatment having no effect on resting or daily metabolic rate. Lymphocyte and hepatocyte oxidative DNA damage and hepatic lipid peroxidation were unaffected by supplementation, but hepatic oxidative DNA damage increased with age. Using a cDNA macroarray, genes associated with xenobiotic metabolism were significantly upregulated in the livers of female mice at 6 months of age (2 months supplementation). At 22 months of age (18 months supplementation) this response had largely abated, but various genes linked to the p21 signaling pathway were upregulated at this time. We suggest that alpha-tocopherol may initially be metabolized as a xenobiotic, potentially explaining why previous studies observe a life span extension generally when lifelong supplementation is initiated early in life. The absence of any significant effect on oxidative damage suggests that the life span extension observed was not mediated via any antioxidant properties of alpha-tocopherol. We propose that the life span extension observed following alpha-tocopherol supplementation may be mediated via upregulation of cytochrome p450 genes after 2 months of supplementation and/or upregulation of p21 signaling genes after 18 months of supplementation. However, these signaling pathways now require further investigation to establish their exact role in life span extension following alpha-tocopherol supplementation.

Effects of radiation and α-tocopherol on saliva flow rate, amylase activity, total protein and electrolyte levels in oral cavity cancer

The objective of the present study was to evaluate early and late effects of radiation and a-tocopherol on the secretion rate of saliva and on selected saliva salivary parameters in oral cavity cancer patients. Eighty-nine histologically confirmed oral cavity cancer patients (OCC) were enrolled in the study. Resting whole saliva was collected before, during and at the end of the radiation therapy (RT) and simultaneous supplementation with alpha - tocopherol to the radiation treated patients (RT + AT). Salivary flow rate, pH, amylase activity, total protein, sodium and potassium were analyzed. Increased pH, potassium and decreased flow rate, amylase activity, protein content and sodium were observed in 6 weeks of radiation treated patients when compared to OCC patients. A significant improvement of those parameters was observed on alpha - tocopherol supplementation in RT + AT patients. Supplementation with alpha - tocopherol improves the salivary flow rate thereby, maintains salivary parameters.

The Immune Response to Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis in Mice Is Modulated by Dietary Vitamin E

Herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSE) is the most common fatal sporadic encephalitis in humans. HSE is primarily caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 infection of the brain. HSE results in increased levels of oxidative stress, including the production of reactive oxygen species, free radicals, and neuroinflammation. The most biologically active form of vitamin E (VE) is α-tocopherol (α-TOC). In cellular membranes, α-TOC prevents lipid peroxidation by scavenging free radicals and functioning as an antioxidant. Supplementation with VE has been shown to decrease immunosenescence, improve immune function, and may be neuroprotective. To determine how VE deficiency and VE supplementation would alter the pathogenesis of HSE, we placed weanling male BALB/cByJ mice on VE-deficient (VE-D), VE-adequate (VE-A), or 10× VE-supplemented diets for 4 wk, and then infected the mice intranasally with HSV-1. VE-D mice had more severe symptoms of encephalitis than VE-A mice, including weight loss, keratitis, hunched posture, and morbidity. VE-D mice had increased cytokine and chemokine expression in the brain and increased viral titers. In contrast, VE supplementation failed to decrease cytokine production and had no effect on viral titer. We demonstrated that adequate levels of VE are important in limiting HSE pathology and that 10× supplementation does not enhance protection.

Long-term evaluation of ifosfamide-related nephrotoxicity in children: The French experience

9551 Background: Ifosfamide-induced nephrotoxicity is a significant issue in patients treated for tumours during childhood. This study aimed at documenting incidence of late renal toxicity of ifosfamide and its risk factors. Methods: 183 patients have been investigated. 100 were male. Median age at treatment was 9.3 years (0.4–18 years). Median dose of ifosfamide was 54 g/m2 (18–77 g/m2). No patients received cisplatin and/or carboplatinum. Diagnoses included rhabdomyosarcoma (77), other soft tissue sarcoma (39), Ewing (39), and osteosarcoma (28). Investigations were performed at a median interval of 10.3 years (5–20.7) after the end of the treatment, at a median age of 21.6 years (7.1–44.2). No patient had electrolyte or vitamine supplementation. Glomerular and tubular functions were graded according to the Skinner's system. Results: After 5 year minimal follow-up 55% had normal tubular and 79% had normal glomerular functions. Natraemia, kalaemia, serum HCO3 and calcaemia were normal in all patients. Hypomagnesaemia was observed in 4, hypophosphaetemia in 8 %. The tubular threshold for phosphate was reduced in 44% of the patients (grade 2 or 3 in 15%, grade 3 in 1 pt). Significant glycosuria (&gt; 0.5 g/24h) was detected in 5 % of the patients but it was clearly abnormal only in 5 patients. 34% of the patients had beta2 microglobulinuria, however, proteinuria was observed in only 12%. Cumulative dose of ifosfamide, older age at treatment and follow-up since treatment were predictor for tubulopathy in univariate and multivariate analyse. The glomerular filtration rate was normal in 79% of the patients. 21% had a grade 1 toxicity and 1 patient a grade 2. Univariate analysis did not find any prognostic factor for glomerular toxicity apart from the association with tubular toxicity. Conclusions: Since ifosfamide-induced renal toxicity can be severe, long term evaluation is important and this risk should be balanced carefully against efficacy. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Effects of mixed tocopherol versus alpha-tocopherol supplementation on tocopherol concentrations in plasma and buccal mucosal cells

Effects of mixed tocopherol versus alpha-tocopherol supplementation on tocopherol concentrations in plasma and buccal mucosal cells

Formation of 5-nitro-gamma-tocopherol in smokers and non-smokers after mixed tocopherol supplementation

Formation of 5-nitro-gamma-tocopherol in smokers and non-smokers after mixed tocopherol supplementation

OXIDATIVE STABILITY OF NATURAL AND CHEMICALLY INTERESTERIFIED COTTONSEED, PALM AND SOYBEAN OILS

ABSTRACT The effect of interesterification on oxidative stability of cottonseed, palm and soybean oils stored under oven conditions at 45, 60 and 75C was evaluated by measuring the peroxide values (PV), anisidine values (AV) and Totox values at different time intervals. Fatty acid composition and tocopherol contents of oil samples were determined before and after interesterification. Interesterification reduced the tocopherol content of oils. The interesterified oils showed lower PV and AV than their non‐interesterified counterparts in all temperatures and time intervals. The primary and secondary oxidation reaction constants and reaction orders were investigated as a function of the reaction temperature. The interesterified oils showed lower reaction rate constants than the non‐interesterified samples. Based on PV, AV and reaction rate constants, the oxidative stability of interesterified oils were higher than their non‐interesterified counterparts. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThe actual shelf‐life of oils can be evaluated by following the deterioration process as a function of time and temperature. Kinetic models were predicted for further estimation of oxidation rate of natural and interesterified oils. It was observed that the reaction order dramatically decreased from first order to zero order as the reaction temperature increased from 45 to 75C. It means that the oxidation process is more concentration dependent at lower temperatures. However, according to our observations, reducing the tocopherol content during interesterification does not inversely affect the oxidative stability of cottonseed, palm and soybean oils, but interesterification reduces the nutritional value of oils. α‐Tocopherol has the highest vitamin E activity. Tocopherol supplementation of interesterified oils with equal amounts of eliminated tocopherols can be applied by related industries. Tocopherol loss is the most important and probably the only known disadvantage of chemical interesterification.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Fish Oil in Laying Hen Diets: Effects on Egg Fatty Acids, Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances, and Tocopherols During Storage

The effects of incorporating conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and fish oil in laying hen diets on egg CLA, n-3 fatty acid, tocopherol, and TBA reactive substances (TBARS) during 60 d of storage were investigated. Hens were fed corn-soybean meal-based diets containing 3% yellow grease (YG), 2.75% yellow grease + 0.25% CLA (YG-CLA), 2.5% yellow grease + 0.25% CLA + 0.25% fish oil (YG-CLA-FO), or 2.75% yellow grease + 0.25% fish oil (YG-FO). Eggs were collected and stored at 4° C up to 60 d. On storage d 0, 20, 40, and 60, eggs (n = 8) from each treatment were selected randomly, and tocopherol and TBARS contents were measured. Egg total lipid and fatty acids were determined on d 0 and 60 of storage. Feeding YG-CLA-FO led to a 5.4 and 7.7% reduction in egg total lipids on d 0 and 60 (P < 0.05) when compared with YG eggs. The YG-CLA and YG-CLA-FO diets led to a 12% increase in egg saturated fatty acids compared with YG eggs. The content of monounsaturated fatty acids were lower (> 19%) in YG-CLA and YG-CLA-FO compared with YG. Egg n-3 was highest in YG-FO eggs and lowest in YG eggs (P < 0.0001). Storage over 60 d led to a 20 and 67% depletion of CLA in the YG-CLA and YG-CLA-FO eggs (P < 0.0001). A 29% reduction was observed in the total n-3 fatty acid content of YG-CLA-FO eggs at d 60 of storage when compared with d 0 of storage (P < 0.0001). Diet and storage increased TBARS (P < 0.0001), which was highest in YG-CLA eggs at 60 d of storage. The YG-CLA and YG-CLA-FO diets reduced α and γ-tocopherol contents at all days of storage compared with YG eggs (P < 0.05). Regardless of diet, egg storage for 40 d or longer depleted egg tocopherol contents (P < 0.05). These data demonstrate that healthy eggs with increased n-3 fatty acids and CLA can be generated by minor diet modifications, but added tocopherol supplementation may be needed to reduce lipid peroxidation when n-3 or CLA is included in the hen diet.

Effects of α-Tocopherol and Mixed Tocopherol Supplementation on Markers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetes

Vitamin E isomers may protect against atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of supplementation with either alpha-tocopherol (alphaT) or mixed tocopherols rich in gamma-tocopherol (gammaT) on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 55 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to receive (500 mg/day) (a) alphaT, (b) mixed tocopherols, or (c) placebo for 6 weeks. Cellular tocopherols, plasma and urine F(2)-isoprostanes, erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities, plasma inflammatory markers, and ex vivo assessment of eicosanoid synthesis were analyzed pre- and postsupplementation. Neutrophil alphaT and gammaT increased (both P <0.001) with mixed tocopherol supplementation, whereas alphaT (P <0.001) increased and gammaT decreased (P <0.005) after alphaT supplementation. Both alphaT and mixed tocopherol supplementation resulted in reduced plasma F(2)-isoprostanes (P <0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively) but did not affect 24-h urinary F(2)-isoprostanes or erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities. Neither alphaT nor mixed tocopherol supplementation affected plasma C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, or monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Stimulated neutrophil leukotriene B(4) production decreased significantly in the mixed tocopherol group (P = 0.02) but not in the alphaT group (P = 0.15). The ability of tocopherols to reduce systemic oxidative stress suggests potential benefits of vitamin E supplementation in patients with type 2 diabetes. In populations with well-controlled type 2 diabetes, supplementation with either alphaT or mixed tocopherols rich in gammaT is unlikely to confer further benefits in reducing inflammation.

Influence of oxidative stress and alpha tocopherol supplementation on urothelial cells of the urinary bladder in ovariectomised rats

The present study was designed to investigate whether vitamin E supplementation would influence the levels of oxidative stress and the damage to urothelial cell DNA in the bladders of castrated rats. A total of 30 rats of the Wistar breed were divided into 3 groups of 10 animals each. Group 1 underwent a sham procedure and was killed after 30 days; group 2 underwent bilateral oophorectomy and was killed after 30 days without receiving vitamin E supplementation and group 3 underwent bilateral oophorectomy and received vitamin E supplementation at a dose of 1,000 IU/kg once a week intra-muscularly for 30 days. Four weeks after the procedure, the rats were anesthetised and their bladders were rapidly removed, frozen and stored at -70 degrees C for Comet assaying, which was carried out on lymphocytes and vesicular urothelium cells. The 8-isoprostane concentration in plasma was also determined to confirm the presence of oxidative stress. The 8-isoprostane levels found were higher in oophorectomised rats that had not received vitamin E supplementation than in the sham group and the oophorectomised group with vitamin replacement. Tail moment analysis on the urothelial cells demonstrated that the oophorectomised group presented DNA damage that was statistically significant in comparison with the other groups. On the basis of the above data, vitamin E decreased the effects of oophorectomy on lipid peroxidation and avoided the DNA damage observed in urothelial cells.

Effects of supplemental vitamin E in diet of Japanese quail on male reproduction, fertility and hatchability

1. Two experiments were conducted to examine the effect of feeding higher supplemental vitamin E (VE) concentrations on male reproductive variables, fertility and hatchability of quails. 2. In experiment 1, sixty 5-week-old male quails, reared in individual cages, were fed male breeder diets supplemented with 0, 75, 150, 225 or 300 IU α-tocopherol acetate/kg. At 10 weeks, observations on cloacal gland size, foam production, testes weight and blood samples for testosterone estimation were taken. 3. In experiment 2, 50 male and 50 female cage-reared quails (5 weeks old) were fed male breeder and layer rations, respectively, supplemented with 0, 75, 150, 225 or 300 IU/kg. At 13 weeks, 9 different mating pairs (5 pairs/group) were formed. Group 1 contained one control male and one control female in each of 5 pens. In groups 2 to 5, control males were paired with females on supplements of 75, 150, 225 or 300 IU/kg. In groups 6 to 9, control females were paired with males on supplements of 75, 150, 225 and 300 IU/kg. During subsequent adaptation and egg collection periods, each of 10 d, control layer ration was fed to all groups. All the eggs laid during the 10-d egg collection period were incubated artificially to estimate fertility and hatchability. The trial was repeated at 15 weeks. 4. Adult male quails receiving moderate supplemental VE (75 and 150 IU/kg) had a higher cloacal gland index, quantity of foam secretion, testicular weight and plasma testosterone than quails fed on either VE-deficient or more highly supplemented diets (225 and 300 IU α-tocopherol acetate/kg). 5. It was concluded that a supplement of 75 IU VE/kg in maize/soybean diet could provide the best reproductive performance of male breeder quails. Cloacal gland index, quantity of foam secretion, testicular weight and plasma testosterone can serve as indirect indicators of testicular activity and fertilising ability in quails. Supplemental VE did not affect the fertility and hatchability of male and female Japanese quails.

Tocopherol in the lipid stability of tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus) hamburgers

Presence of tocopherol is effective for fish preservation during frozen storage, inhibiting lipid degradation by oxidation. This work evaluated the antioxidant effects of α-tocopherol in diet and postmortem addition on the final quality of hamburgers produced from tilapia fillets kept frozen for zero, 30, 60, and 90 days. Chemical composition varied within the values found for tilapia fish. The increase in α-tocopherol levels reduced the values of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the samples at all time intervals. Tocopherol supplementation in diets protected the hamburgers from lipid oxidation more effectively than postmortem addition.

Effects of Vitamin E and l-Arginine on Cardiopulmonary Function and Ascites Parameters in Broiler Chickens Reared Under Subnormal Temperatures

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of arginine (Arg) and vitamin E (VE) on ascites (pulmonary hypertension syndrome) parameters, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, and cardiopulmonary performance after an acute challenge with epinephrine (Epi). One-day-old male broilers (n = 100) were fed a commercial corn-soybean meal–based diet meeting NRC (1994) requirements, including 1.2% Arg and 40 IU of VE/kg. In experiment 1, birds were provided tap water (control), water with 0.3% Arg (HArg), water with 400 IU of VE/L (HVE), or a combination of both compounds (Arg-VE). In experiment 2, the treatment groups were similar but the VE was incorporated in the diet (400 IU/ kg of feed). At d 18, temperature was reduced to amplify the incidence of pulmonary hypertension. Body weight and hematocrit were recorded weekly. From d 28 to 42, cardiopulmonary performance was evaluated in clinically healthy, anesthetized birds (n = 7 to 8/treatment). A pulmonary artery and a systemic artery were cannulated, the birds were allowed to stabilize for 10 min (basal), an i.v. injection of Epi was applied (1 or 0.5 mg/kg of BW, experiment 1 and 2, respectively), and a second dose was applied 20 min later. Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR) were recorded continuously and data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA. The NOS activity was estimated through the conversion of 14 C-Arginine to 14 C-citrulline in isolated pulmonary arteries. Right/total ventricular weight ratio (RV/TV) was recorded at the end of the experiment. Body weight, RV/TV, and hematocrit values were not significantly affected by the dietary treatments. The PAP increased (P < 0.01) within 30 s after Epi in all treatments, except the HArg treatment in experiment 2. Overall, the time taken for PAP to return to basal levels was longer in the Arg-VE birds and shorter in the HArg birds, particularly after the second challenge. However, although NOS activity was highly variable, birds fed HArg tended to have the lowest NOS activity of all groups. The levels of VE supplementation used in these experiments did not improve cardiopulmonary performance or NOS activity in isolated pulmonary arteries.

Dietary Functional Ingredients: Performance of Animals and Quality and Storage Stability of Irradiated Raw Turkey Breast

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary functional ingredients vitamin E (VE), Se, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), alone or in combination, on the quality of irradiated turkey breast meat. A total of 480 male turkeys (11-wk-old, raised on a cornsoybean basal diet) were randomly allotted to 32 pens and fed 1 of 8 experimental diets (4 pens/treatment) supplemented with none (control), 200 IU/kg of VE (VE), 0.3 ppm Se (Se), 2.5% CLA (CLA), 200 IU/kg of VE + 0.3 ppm Se (VE + Se), 200 IU/kg of VE + 2.5% CLA (VE + CLA), 2.5% CLA + 0.3 ppm Se (CLA + Se), 200 IU/kg of VE + 0.3 ppm Se + 2.5% CLA (VE + Se + CLA) for 4 wk. At 15 wk of age, all birds were slaughtered, and breast muscles of 8 birds from each pen were separated, pooled, and ground. Patties were prepared using the ground meat, aerobically packaged, and irradiated at 0 or 1.5 kGy absorbed dose. Lipid oxidation, color, and volatiles of the patties were measured after 0, 7, and 12 d of storage at 4 degrees C. The content of VE and Se and fatty acid composition of lipids were also determined. Dietary supplementation of VE and CLA increased their concentrations in turkey breast. Dietary CLA decreased monounsaturated and non-CLA polyunsaturated fatty acids content in meat. Irradiation increased (P < 0.05) Hunter color redness value of turkey breast and accelerated lipid oxidation, regardless of dietary treatments. However, dietary VE, Se, and CLA, alone and in combinations, decreased (P < 0.05) lipid oxidation in meat caused by both irradiation and storage. It was concluded that dietary supplementation of VE, Se, and CLA, alone and in combination, improved the storage stability of irradiated turkey breast meat.