Reproductive long-term effects, endocrine response and fatty acid profile of rabbit does fed diets supplemented with n-3 fatty acids

García Rebollar, Pilar; García García, Rosa María; Arias Álvarez, María; Millán Pastor, María Pilar; Rey Muñoz, Ana Isabel; Rodríguez, M.; Formoso-Rafferty Castilla, Nora; Riva Andrés, Sara de la; Masdeu, María del Mar; Lorenzo González, Pedro Luis

Reproductive long-term effects, endocrine response and fatty acid profile of rabbit does fed diets supplemented with n-3 fatty acids

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Official URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2014.02.021

Publication date

2014

Publisher

Elsevier

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URI

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/105379

Citation

P.G. Rebollar, R.M. García-García, M. Arias-Álvarez, P. Millán, A.I. Rey, M. Rodríguez, N. Formoso-Rafferty, S. de la Riva, M. Masdeu, P.L. Lorenzo, P. García-Rebollar, Reproductive long-term effects, endocrine response and fatty acid profile of rabbit does fed diets supplemented with n-3 fatty acids, Animal Reproduction Science, Volume 146, Issues 3–4, 2014, Pages 202-209, 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 production, 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 supplemented 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.