Reproductive performance and gestational effort in relation to dietary fatty acids in guinea pigs

• DOI: 10.1186/s40104-017-0158-4
• Publication Date: 2017-03-28T13:16:56Z
• Authors: Matthias Nemeth; Eva Millesi; Carina Siutz; Karl-Heinz Wagner; Ruth Quint; Bernard Wallner
• Keywords: Litter; Precocial

Dietary saturated (SFAs) and polyunsaturated (PUFAs) fatty acids can highly affect reproductive functions by providing additional energy, modulating the biochemical properties of tissues, hormone secretions. In precocial mammals such as domestic guinea pigs offspring is born developed. Gestation might be most critical period in this species dietary may profoundly influence gestational effort. We therefore determined hormonal status at conception, success, body mass changes during gestation maintained on diets high PUFAs or SFAs, a control diet. The significantly affected females' plasma acid while cortisol estrogen levels did not differ among groups. SFA females exhibited lower litter size, individual birth pups groups general higher pup mortality rate larger litters was diminished SFAs. effort, mother's gain gestation, increased with total mass, whereas increase lowest highest PUFA individuals. after parturition positively females. While SFAs reduce but also effort consequence, supplementation contribute to an adjustment energy accumulations which both favor condition perhaps survival birth.