Citation
Garcia Rebollar, Paloma and García García, R. M. and Arias Álvarez, María and Millán, P. and Rey, Ana Isabel and Rodríguez, M. and Formoso Rafferty, Nora and Riva, S. de la and Masdeu, M. and Lorenzo González, Pedro Luis and García Rebollar, Pilar
(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", v. 146
(n. 3-4);
pp. 202-209.
ISSN 0378-4320.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2014.02.021.
Abstract
The
effect
of
a
diet
enriched
with
polyunsaturated
n
-3
fatty
acids
(PUFA)
on
endocrine,
reproductive,
and
productive
responses
of
rabbit
females
and
the
litters
has
been
studied.
Nulliparous
does
(
n
=
125)
were
fed
ad
libitum
from
rearing
to
second
weaning
two
diets
supplemented
with
different
fat
sources:
7.5
g/kg
lard
for
the
control
diet
(group
C;
n
=
63)
or
15
g/kg
of
a
commercial
supplement
containing
a
50%
ether
extract
and
35%
of
total
fatty
acids
(FAs)
as
PUFA
n
-3
(Group
P;
n
=
62).
Dietary
treatments
did
not
affect
apparent
digestibility
coefficients
of
nutrients,
or
reproductive
variables
of
does
including
milk
pro-
duction,
mortality
and
average
daily
gain
of
kits
over
two
lactations.
However,
on
Day
5
and
7
post-induction
of
ovulation,
progesterone
of
Group
P
tended
to
increase
to
a
greater
extent
than
in
does
of
Group
C.
Total
PUFAs,
n
-6
and
n
-3
and
eicosapentanoic
(EPA)
contents
were
greater
in
adipose
tissues
of
does
in
Group
P
than
in
Group
C.
Docosapentaenoic
acid
(DPA),
EPA,
and
docosahexaenoic
acid
(DHA)
concentrations
were
greater
in
peri-ovarian
than
in
scapular
fat
with
abdominal
fat
being
intermediate
in
concentration.
In
PUFA
sup-
plemented
does,
kit
mortality
at
the
second
parturition
tended
to
be
less
than
in
control
does.
Also,
kits
born
to
does
of
the
PUFA-supplemented
group
weighed
more
and
were
of
greater
length
than
from
does
of
control
group.
In
conclusion,
effectiveness
of
dietary
intervention
on
reproductive
and
performance
response
is
greater
in
the
second
parity,
which
suggests
an
accumulative
long-term
beneficial
effect
of
n
-3
FA
supplementation
in
reproductive
rabbit
does