[Marginal copper and iron supply in pigs. 2. Effect on fatty acid composition in various tissues]

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of a deficient copper and iron supply on the fatty acid composition of various tissues in pigs. An experiment was conducted with 4 x 12 growing pigs of the crossbreed Pietrain x Deutsche Landrasse. The animals were fed for a period of 119 days with a diet poor of copper (1.5 mg Cu/kg diet) and/or poor of iron (35 mg Fe/kg diet). Control animals were supplied adequately with copper (4.8 mg Cu/kg diet) and iron (85 mg Fe/kg diet). The diet was given according to weight. The copper and iron supply can be characterized as marginal due to a former report of this study. The total lipid and cholesterol content in serum, erythrocytes, liver and backfat was not influenced due to marginal copper and iron supply. Only in muscle there was a slightly reduction in these parameters. Marginal copper supply had no striking effect on the fatty acid composition in all examined tissues. After marginal iron supply there were some changes in the fatty acid composition in serum, erythrocytes and muscle. Saturated fatty acids raised due to declined monoenoic fatty acids, which is concluded as a reduced delta-9 desaturation.