Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T17:33:13.766Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Dietary fish oil and flaxseed for rabbit does: fatty acids distribution and Δ6-desaturase enzyme expression of different tissues

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2019

S. Mattioli Open the ORCID record for S. Mattioli [Opens in a new window] ,
A. Dal Bosco ,
M. Maranesi ,
L. Petrucci ,
P. G. Rebollar  and
C. Castellini
S. Mattioli*
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy
A. Dal Bosco
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy
M. Maranesi
Affiliation:
Department Veterinary medicine, Università degli Studi di Perugia, via San Costanzo, 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy
L. Petrucci
Affiliation:
Department Veterinary medicine, Università degli Studi di Perugia, via San Costanzo, 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy
P. G. Rebollar
Affiliation:
Department Agrarian Production, ETSIAAB, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
C. Castellini
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Standard feeds are imbalanced in term of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ratio, with a low proportion of the latter. The reproductive system appears to be strongly affected by administration of n-3 PUFA, and ingredients rich in α-linolenic acid (ALA; i.e. vegetable sources) or EPA and DHA acids (i.e. fish oil) can be included in animal diets to balance PUFA intake. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with flaxseed (ALA) or fish oil (EPA and DHA) on PUFA metabolism in rabbit does. A total of 60 New Zealand White female rabbits were assigned to three experimental groups: control group, FLAX group fed 10% extruded flaxseed and FISH group fed 3% fish oil. Blood, milk, liver and ovaries were collected from the does to assess the lipid composition; furthermore, FADS2 gene expression was assessed in liver and ovary tissues. Reproductive performance of does was also recorded. The fertility rate and number of weaned rabbits improved with n-3 dietary supplementation: does at first parity showed the lowest reproductive results, but the administration of n-3 reduced the gap between primiparous and multiparous does. Feed consumption and milk production were not affected by the feeding regime. The fatty acid composition of milk, plasma, liver and ovaries were widely influenced by diet, showing higher concentrations of n-3 long-chain PUFA (LCP) in does fed with n-3 enriched diets. FISH diet resulted in the highest n-3 LCP enrichment, whereas in the FLAX group, this increase was lower. Blood and milk showed low levels of LCP, whereas liver and ovaries were the main sites of n-3 LCP synthesis and accumulation. Accordingly, although the liver is the main metabolic centre for LCP synthesis, ovaries also have a prominent role in LCP generation. FADS2 expression in liver and ovary tissue was downregulated by FISH administration. In conclusion, the enrichment of diets with n-3 PUFA could be an effective strategy for improving the reproductive performance of does.

Keywords

rabbitn-3 long-chain fatty acidsFADS2liverovary
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 13 , Issue 9 , September 2019 , pp. 1934 - 1942
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Association of Official Analytical Chemists 1995. Official methods of analysis, volume 2, 15th edition. AOAC, Arlington, VA, USA.Google Scholar
Ayalew-Pervanchon, A, Rousseau, D, Moreau, D, Assayag, P, Weill, P and Grynberg, A 2007. Long-term effect of dietary {alpha}-linolenic acid or docosahexaenoic acid on incorporation of docosahexaenoic acid in membranes and its influence on rat heart in vivo. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology 293, 2296–2304.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Broughton, S, Bayes, J and Culver, B 2010. High α-linolenic acid and fish oil ingestion promotes ovulation to the same extent in rats. Nutrition Research 30, 731–738.Google ScholarPubMed
Castellini, C, Dal Bosco, A, Mattioli, S, Davidescu, M, Corazzi, L, Macchioni, L, Rimoldi, S and Terova, G. 2016. Activity, expression, and substrate preference of the δ6-desaturase in slow- or fast-growing rabbit genotypes. Journal of Agricultural And Food Chemistry 64, 792–800.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Castellini, C and Lattaioli, P 1999. Effect of number of motile sperms inseminated on reproductive performance of rabbit does. Animal Reproduction Science 57, 111–120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cho, HP, Nakamura, MT and Clarke, SD 1999. Cloning, expression, and nutritional regulation of the mammalian Delta-6 desaturase. Journal of Biological Chemistry 274, 471–477.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Christie, WW 1982. A simple procedure for rapid transmethylation of glycerolipids and cholesteryl esters. Journal of Lipid Research 23, 1072–1075.Google ScholarPubMed
Dal Bosco, A, Castellini, C and Mugnai, C. 2003. Evaluation of body condition in pregnant rabbit does by ultrasound scanner. Italian Journal of Animal Science 2, 480–482.Google Scholar
Dal Bosco, A, Castellini, C, Bianchi, L and Mugnai, C 2004. Effect of dietary α-linolenic acid and vitamin E on the fatty acid composition, storage stability and sensory traits of rabbit meat. Meat Science 66, 407–413.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Meester, F, Watson, R and Zibadi, S 2012. Omega-6/3 fatty acids: functions, sustainability strategies and perspectives, Springer edition. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ, USA.Google Scholar
Diskin, MG and Morris, DG 2008. Embryonic and early foetal losses in cattle and other ruminants. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 43, 260–267.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eilati, E, Small, CC, McGee, SR, Kurrey, NK and Hales, DB 2013. Anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil in ovaries of laying hens target prostaglandin pathways. Lipids in Health and Disease 12, 152.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Folch, J, Lees, M and Sloane-Stanley, GH 1957. A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipids from animal tissues. Journal of Biological Chemistry 226, 497–509.Google ScholarPubMed
Fortun-Lamothe, L 2006. Energy balance and reproductive performance in rabbit does. Animal Reproduction Science 93, 1–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gregory, MK, Gibson, RA, Cook-Johnson, RJ, Cleland, LG and James, MJ 2011. Elongase reactions as control points in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid synthesis. PLoS One 6, e29662.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lin, DS, Anderson, GJ and Connor, WE 1991. High levels of the (n-6) fatty acid 4, 7, 10, 13, 16-docosapentaenoate in the retinas of rabbits are reduced by feeding dietary fish oil from birth to adult life. Journal of Nutrition 121, 1924–1931.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maertens, L, Moermans, R and De Groote, G 1988. Prediction of the apparent digestible energy content of commercial pelleted feeds for rabbits. Journal of Applied Rabbit Research 11, 60–67.Google Scholar
Maranesi, M, Zerani, M, Leonardi, L, Pistilli, A, Arruda-Alencar, J, Stabile, AM, Rende, M, Castellini, C, Petrucci, L, Parillo, F, Moura, A and Boiti, C 2015. Gene expression and localization of NGF and its cognate receptors NTRK1 and NGFR in the sex organs of male rabbits. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 50, 918–925.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mattos, R, Guzeloglu, A, Badinga, L, Staples, CR and Thatcher, WW 2003. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and bovine interferon-τ modify phorbol ester-induced secretion of prostaglandin F2α and expression of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase-2 and phospholipase-A2 in bovine endometrial cells. Biology of Reproduction 69, 780–787.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Muskiet, FA, Fokkema, MR, Schaafsma, A, Boersma, ER and Crawford, MA 2004. Is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) essential? Lessons from DHA status regulation, our ancient diet, epidemiology and randomized controlled trials. The Journal of Nutrition 134, 183–186.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nakamura, MT and Nara, TY 2004. Structure, function, and dietary regulation of delta6, delta5, and delta9 desaturases. Annual Review of Nutrition 24, 345–376.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oliveira, DD, Baião, NC, Cançado, SV, Grimaldi, R, Souza, MR, Lara, LJC and Lana, AQ 2010. Effects of lipid sources in the diet of laying hens on the fatty acid profiles of egg yolks. Poultry Science 89, 2484–2490.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Portolesi, R, Powell, BC and Gibson, RA 2007. Competition between 24: 5n-3 and ALA for Δ6 desaturase may limit the accumulation of DHA in HepG2 cell membranes. Journal of Lipid Research 48, 1592–1598.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rebollar, PG, García-García, RM, Arias-Álvarez, M, Millán, P, Rey, AI, Rodríguez, M, Formoso-Rafferty, N, De la Riva, S, Masdeu, M and Lorenzo, PL 2014. Reproductive long-term effects, endocrine response and fatty acid profile of rabbit does fed diets supplemented with n-3 fatty acids. Animal Reproduction Science 146, 202–209.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rebollar, PG, Pérez-Cabal, MA, Pereda, N, Lorenzo, PL, Arias-Álvarez, M and García-Rebollar, P 2009. Effects of parity order and reproductive management on the efficiency of rabbit productive systems. Livestock Science 121, 227–233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodríguez, M, García-García, RM, Arias-Álvarez, M, Formoso-Rafferty, N, Millán, P, López-Tello, J, Lorenzo, PL, González-Bulnes, A and Rebollar, PG 2017. A diet supplemented with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids influences the metabolic and endocrine response of rabbit does and their offspring. Journal of Animal Science 95, 2690–2700.Google Scholar
Rodríguez, M, García-García, RM, Arias-Álvarez, M, Millán, P, Febrel, N, Formoso-Rafferty, N, López-Tello, J, Lorenzo, PL and Rebollar, P 2018. Improvements in the conception rate, milk composition and embryo quality of rabbit does after dietary enrichment with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Animal 12, 1–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rosero, DS, Boyd, RD, McCulley, M, Odle, J and van Heugten, E 2016. Essential fatty acid supplementation during lactation is required to maximize the subsequent reproductive performance of the modern sow. Animal Reproduction Science 168, 151–163.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
SAS 1990. User’s guide, Version 6. Cary, NC, USA.Google Scholar
Schley, P 1975. Kaninchenmilch zusammensetzung und probennehme. Berl Munch Tierarztl Wochenschr 88, 171–173.Google Scholar
Simopoulos, AP 1991. Omega-3 fatty acids in health and disease and in growth and development. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 54, 438–463.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tang, C, Cho, HP, Nakamura, MT and Clarke, SD. 2003. Regulation of human D-6 desaturase gene transcription: identification of a functional direct repeat-1 element. Journal of Lipid Research 44, 686–695.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wathes, HV, Abayasekara, DRE and Aitken, RJ 2007. Polyunsaturated fatty acids in the male and female reproduction. Biology of Reproduction 77, 190–201.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Webb, R, Garnsworthy, PC, Campbell, BK and Hunter, MG 2007. Intra-ovarian regulation of follicular development and oocyte competence in farm animals. Theriogenology 68, 22–29.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weems, CW, Weems, YS and Randel, RD 2006. Prostaglandins and reproduction in female farm animals. Veterinary Journal 171, 206–228.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Xiccato, G, Bernardini, M, Castellini, C, Dalle Zotte, A, Queaque, PI and Trocino, A 1999. Effect of post-weaning feeding on performance and energy balance of female rabbit at different physiological states. Journal of Animal Science 77, 416–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Mattioli et al. supplementary material

Table S1

Download Mattioli et al. supplementary material(File)
File 13.6 KB