Effect of maternal diet on skeletal muscle composition and metabolism and on bone dimensions and composition of the fetal pig.

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of addition of fat to sow diets on selected muscle and bone traits of the fetus. Crossbred dams were assigned to receive one of four dietary treatments at 80 d of gestation. Percentage added poultry fat in the diet was 0, 2.3, 12.7 or 29.6%. Isocaloric-isonitrogenous diets (7,000 kcal ME) were fed once daily. At 110 d of gestation, sows were anesthetized with fluothane and nitrous oxide. Fetuses were removed by Caesarean section. Fetal body weight, biceps femoris muscles and femur wet weights and blood (concentration of protein, free fatty acids and triacylglycerol), muscle (percentage dry matter, concentration of DNA, RNA, protein and lipid) and bone (percentage dry matter, lipid, ash and length) traits were not influenced by maternal dietary fat content. The rates of oxidation of palmitate and of lipid to CO2 and the rates of incorporation of palmitate into triacylglycerol and into phospholipid by fetal pig muscle also were not influenced by maternal dietary fat content. It was suggested that fetal skeletal muscle can mobilize glycogen and, to a limited extent, lipid stores.