Backgrounding lambs on saltbush provides an effective source of Vitamin E that can prevent Vitamin E deficiency and reduce the incidence of subclinical nutritional myopathy during summer and autumn

2013 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 247 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. Fancote ◽  
P. E. Vercoe ◽  
K. L. Pearce ◽  
I. H. Williams ◽  
H. C. Norman

Vitamin E deficiency is common in sheep during summer and autumn in Mediterranean environments because of the lack of green feed. Deficiency of Vitamin E can lead to the development of nutritional myopathy, a condition causing heart and skeletal muscle damage which, in severe cases, can lead to death of the animal. Saltbush (Atriplex spp.) contains high concentrations of Vitamin E, so providing sheep with access to saltbush during summer may improve their Vitamin E status and prevent Vitamin E deficiency. We wished to determine whether backgrounding lambs on saltbush over summer and autumn (i.e. graze saltbush-based pastures for several weeks before finishing them to condition suitable for slaughter) would prevent Vitamin E deficiency and nutritional myopathy and compared the effectiveness of this strategy in preventing Vitamin E deficiency to a commercially available synthetic Vitamin E supplement. Ten-month-old cross-bred lambs (n = 48) were backgrounded on dry, senesced (control) or saltbush-based pastures for 8 weeks during summer. After backgrounding they were fed a grain-based finishing ration containing low levels of Vitamin E for a further 5 weeks. We found that while grazing saltbush the plasma Vitamin E concentrations of lambs increased from 1.1 to 2.6 mg/L within 3 weeks, concentrations that were significantly higher than the concentrations in the lambs that did not have access to saltbush during backgrounding (P < 0.001). The improved Vitamin E concentrations corresponded with a reduction in the incidence of nutritional myopathy, with none of the lambs grazing saltbush showing any biochemical signs of myopathy, whereas 17% of lambs backgrounded on control pastures had elevated plasma concentrations of creatine kinase that were indicative of subclinical nutritional myopathy. During the subsequent finishing phase, lambs that had not had access to saltbush during backgrounding were all Vitamin E deficient and, of these, 8.5% were diagnosed with subclinical nutritional myopathy. By contrast, none of the lambs backgrounded on saltbush was Vitamin E deficient nor did they have any biochemical evidence of Vitamin E-responsive myopathy. The present study demonstrated that saltbush is a valuable source of Vitamin E for livestock that can reduce the incidence of subclinical nutritional myopathy in lambs during summer and prevent plasma Vitamin E concentrations becoming deficient for up to 5 weeks after saltbush is removed from the diet.

2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (9) ◽  
pp. 1575-1585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Zhao ◽  
Frank J. Monahan ◽  
Breige A. McNulty ◽  
Mike J. Gibney ◽  
Eileen R. Gibney

Vitamin E is believed to play a preventive role in diseases associated with oxidative stress. The aims of the present study were to quantify vitamin E intake levels and plasma concentrations and to assess dietary vitamin E adequacy in Irish adults. Intake data from the National Adult Nutrition Survey were used; plasma samples were obtained from a representative cohort of survey participants. Plasma α- and γ-tocopherol concentrations were measured by HPLC. The main sources of vitamin E in the diet were ‘butter, spreadable fats and oils’ and ‘vegetables and vegetable dishes’. When vitamin E intake from supplements was taken into account, supplements were found to be the main contributor, making a contribution of 29·2 % to vitamin E intake in the total population. Supplement consumers had significantly higher plasma α-tocopherol concentrations and lower plasma γ-tocopherol concentrations when compared with non-consumers. Consumers of ‘vitamin E’ supplements had significantly higher vitamin E intake levels and plasma α-tocopherol concentrations compared with consumers of other types of supplements, such as multivitamin and fish oil. Comparison with the Institute of Medicine Estimated Average Requirement of 12 mg/d indicated that when vitamin E intake from food and supplement sources was taken into account, 100 % of the study participants achieved the recommended intake levels. When vitamin E intake from food sources was taken into account, only 68·4 % of the females were found to achieve the recommended intake levels compared with 99·2 % of the males. The results of the present study show that dietary vitamin E intake has a significant effect on plasma α- and γ-tocopherol concentrations. Furthermore, they show that the consumption of supplements is a major contributor to overall intake and has a significant effect on plasma vitamin E concentrations in the Irish population.


1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goverdhan Lal ◽  
S. P. S. Yadav ◽  
S. K. Aggarwal ◽  
Sadhna Bansal ◽  
Kiran Chugh ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 535 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. White ◽  
L. Rewell

This paper reports on the status of vitamin E and selenium in weaner and adult sheep in Western Australia (WA) during autumn, and its relationship to the incidence of apparent white muscle disease (WMD). A survey was conducted in which blood samples were taken from 10 weaner sheep (8–12 months of age) and 10 adult ewes (3 years of age) from flocks on 38 properties within the main southern agricultural region of WA, an area carrying ~10 million sheep. Deficiency of vitamin E was defined as a plasma α-tocopherol concentration less than 0.7 mg/L. Selenium deficiency was defined as whole blood glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity less than 50 U/L. Incidence and severity of apparent WMD were defined in terms of elevated plasma activities of creatine kinase (CK) or aspartate aminotransaminase (AST). Of the weaner flocks, 58% (22/38) had mean plasma vitamin E concentrations in the deficient range (<0.7 mg/L) and 50% (19/38) had mean CK activities above 400 U/L (mild WMD); four of these flocks had mean CK activities over 1200 U/L (severe WMD). Of all the individual weaner sheep sampled, 6% had plasma CK activities >1200 U/L. It is likely that the incidence of vitamin E deficiency would have been higher had it not been for unseasonal summer rain germinating pasture on eight of the survey farms in the northern wheat belt. Flocks from farms with an evident green flush to their pastures had higher vitamin E levels than flocks grazing dry pasture. Vitamin E deficiency was less common in adult sheep than weaner sheep, with only 16% of flocks (6/38) having mean plasma concentrations below 0.7 mg/L and 11% (4/38) with CK values above 400 U/L. Selenium deficiency was less common than vitamin E deficiency and was mostly confined to adult flocks, with only 5% (2/38) of these having mean GPx values below the critical value of 50 U/g haemoglobin. For both weaner and adult sheep classed as vitamin E deficient, CK and AST activity in plasma was best described by a combination of plasma vitamin E concentration and whole blood activity of GPx (significant linear step wise regression, P < 0.001). The present study shows that subclinical vitamin E deficiency (<0.7 mg/L) was widespread in weaner flocks in WA during autumn and that, based on the biochemical data, deficiency was associated with apparent severe muscle damage in 6% of weaner sheep sampled. Recommended strategies to treat weaner sheep showing signs of WMD include dosing with 2000–4000 mg vitamin E either by injection, oral drench or by spraying it onto supplementary grain. The level and frequency of dosing depends upon the severity of the WMD symptoms. Less is known about preventative treatment, but recent evidence suggests that providing weaner sheep with access to saltbush during autumn may prove to be a practically useful strategy. Selenium supplements should also be supplied to weaner and adult sheep in areas known to be selenium deficient.


1983 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sisir K. Majumdar ◽  
G.K. Shaw ◽  
Allan D. Thomson

1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 631-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank J. Kelly ◽  
Wendy Rodgers ◽  
Jeffrey Handel ◽  
Susan Smith ◽  
Michel A. Hall

Plasma and erythrocyte (RBC) tocopherol-isomer concentrations were determined serially in forty-two premature infants (25–35 weeks gestation) from birth to 8 weeks of age. For comparison purposes vitamin E status was also determined in six term infants over the first 8 d following birth and in a group of thirteen adult volunteers. Vitamin E intakes in term and preterm infants were calculated from recorded food intakes and blood transfusions. In term infants plasma vitamin E concentration rose from 1.9 mg/l (day 1) to 8 2 mg/l by day 8. In comparison preterm plasma vitamin E concentration, 0.3 mg/l (day I), did not change appreciably by day 8 (0.7mg/l). Likewise RBC vitamin E concentration increased in term infants from 1.3 mg/l (day 1) to 2.7 mg/l (day 8), while in preterm infants it remained unchanged, 1.5 mg/l (day 1) v. 1.3 mg/l (day 8). Over the 3 weeks following birth, RBC vitamin E concentrations in the premature infants increased to adult values, while plasma vitamin E concentration did not reach the adult range until 8 weeks post-term. These slow changes in plasma vitamin E status occurred even though the vitamin E intake of these infants was similar to that proving adequate for term infants.


1997 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuelle Simon ◽  
Jean-Louis Paul ◽  
Théophile Soni ◽  
Alain Simon ◽  
Nicole Moatti

Abstract The present study was designed to assess plasma and erythrocyte vitamin E concentrations in 57 asymptomatic hypercholesterolemic (HC) men compared with 56 normocholesterolemic (NC) men. Vitamin E concentrations were determined by using a reversed-phase HPLC method. Compared with NC subjects, HC men had a significantly lower red blood cell (RBC) vitamin E content in spite of their normal plasma vitamin E concentration. This study demonstrates that total plasma vitamin E concentration is not a suitable predictor of cell vitamin E status and suggests an abnormal transfer of tocopherol between plasma and RBCs in HC men. Moreover, the RBCs of HC men were more susceptible to a peroxidative stress. The strong correlation between RBC susceptibility to oxidation and RBC vitamin E content suggests that the low RBC vitamin E content found in HC men has physiological consequences on the RBC oxidation.


1968 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Siddons ◽  
C. F. Mills

1. Glutathione peroxidase activity (EC1.11.1.9) and erythrocyte stability were measured in Friesian bull calves which were given for 36 weeks semi-purified diets either adequate or low in selenium or vitamin E or both.2. Dietary Se or vitamin E content had no effect on growth rate and haematological vaiues. None of the calves exhibited clinical deficiency symptoms and serum aspartate amino transferase (EC 2.6.1.1) and creatine phosphokinase (EC 2.7.3.2) activities remained normal. Heart and skeletal muscles of all calves appeared macroscopically and microscopically normal at autopsy.3. Glutathione peroxidase activity in plasma, blood and other tissues, except the testis, was significantly lower in calves receiving low dietary Se but was independent of dietary vitamin E content.4. Plasma vitamin E levels decreased rapidly and to very low levels in calves given low vitamin E diets irrespective of the Se content of the diet.5. A low dietary vitamin E intake increased the susceptibility of erythrocytes to auto- and peroxidative haemolysis whereas a low Se intake in the presence of adequate vitamin E did not. However, erythrocytes from calves receiving low Se and low vitamin E were more susceptible to peroxidative haemolysis than erythrocytes from calves receiving low vitamin E and adequate Se. The effect of dietary vitamin E content on osmotic haemolysis induced by hypotonic saline was variable.6. The results suggest that measurement of blood glutathione peroxidase activity and the susceptibility of erythrocytes to auto- or peroxidative haemolysis could be used for the differential diagnosis of subclinical Se and vitamin E deficiency in ruminants.


1988 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 487-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijay K. Jain ◽  
Ramesh K. Bansal ◽  
S.K. Aggarwal ◽  
S.D. Chaudhary ◽  
A.S. Saini

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 483
Author(s):  
Olaf Sommerburg ◽  
Susanne Hämmerling ◽  
S. Philipp Schneider ◽  
Jürgen Okun ◽  
Claus-Dieter Langhans ◽  
...  

Rationale: Cystic fibrosis (CF), caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, leads to impaired pancreatic function and therefore reduced intestinal absorption of lipids and fat-soluble vitamins especially in patients with CF developing pancreatic insufficiency (PI). Previous studies showed that CFTR modulator therapy with lumacaftor-ivacaftor (LUM/IVA) in Phe508del-homozygous patients with CF results in improvement of pulmonary disease and thriving. However, the effects of LUM/IVA on plasma concentration of the lipid soluble vitamins A and E remain unknown. Objectives: To investigate the course of plasma vitamin A and E in patients with CF under LUM/IVA therapy. Methods: Data from annual follow-up examinations of patients with CF were obtained to assess clinical outcomes including pulmonary function status, body mass index (BMI), and clinical chemistry as well as fat-soluble vitamins in Phe508del-homozygous CF patients before initiation and during LUM/IVA therapy. Results: Patients with CF receiving LUM/IVA improved substantially, including improvement in pulmonary inflammation, associated with a decrease in blood immunoglobulin G (IgG) from 9.4 to 8.2 g/L after two years (p < 0.001). During the same time, plasma vitamin A increased significantly from 1.2 to 1.6 µmol/L (p < 0.05), however, levels above the upper limit of normal were not detected in any of the patients. In contrast, plasma vitamin E as vitamin E/cholesterol ratio decreased moderately over the same time from 6.2 to 5.5 µmol/L (p < 0.01). Conclusions: CFTR modulator therapy with LUM/IVA alters concentrations of vitamins A and vitamin E in plasma. The increase of vitamin A must be monitored critically to avoid hypervitaminosis A in patients with CF.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document