How does dietary vitamin E and fish oil in mice maternal diet affect litter size, sex ratio and offspring body weight

Background: We tested offspring characteristics in response to reciprocal combinations of sunflower and fish oils (FO) in the maternal diet with or without vitamin E (E).Methods: Sixty-four mother mice were fed six isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets (n=6) adlibitum during one week before mating to weaning. The dietary groups were standard diet (control; C), CLF and CHF groups which consumed 15 and 30 mg fish oil/100g of C diet, respectively. Moreover, a group received vitamin E supplemented diet (E) (two folded greater than standard recommendations) and ELF and EHF groups received 15 and 30 mg fish oil/100g E diet, respectively. All diets contain 3 percent oils which sunflower oil replaced with FO. After weaning, the offspring data were recorded and analyzed using SPSS software.Result: Gestation length (19-21 days) as well as sex ratio did not differ. Although the litter sizes were unaltered by dietary E, it increased (P< 0.05) as FO was added to the control diet (8.1, 9.6, 11.8, 10.6, 10.6, and 9.6 offspring/mother for C, CLF, CHF, E, ELF, and EHF, respectively). Offspring body weights on weaning day were altered (P< 0.05) when FO added to control diets (15.3±1.72 vs. 13.3±2.45 and 11.9±4.45 g for C, CLF and CHF, respectively). EHF offspring body weight (14.4±1.60 g) were higher (P< 0.05) than E (13±3.36 g) and ELF (12±2.15 g).Conclusion: FO or E cannot change sex ratio and gestation length. FO inclusion in control diet was beneficial in terms of litter size and detrimental for offspring body weights.

کلیدواژه ها:

Fish oil ، Sex ratio ، Vitamin E ، Maternal nutrition