Supplementation with eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids during late gestation alters fatty acid profiles in ewe colostrum, milk, and plasma, and lamb plasma.

ABSTRACT: Our aim was to evaluate the effects of increasing dietary levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) during the final third of gestation on plasma and milk fatty acid (FA) profiles of ewes and their offspring. Additionally, correlation between maternal and offspring plasma, colostrum, and milk FA profiles were examined. Seventy-two pregnant ewes (92.2 ± 2.94 kg body weight at d 100 of gestation) were blocked by body condition score and randomly assigned to one of three diets containing 0, 1, or 2% of a Ca salt of FA enriched with EPA and DHA during the last 50 d of gestation. Animals were housed in 8 pens per treatment (3 ewes per pen) during the supplementation period. At lambing, all ewes were penned together and offered a diet without FA supplementation. For FA

SUBMITTER: Carranza-Martin AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12619979 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature