Effect of colostral fat level on fat deposition and plasma metabolites in the newborn pig.

The effects of colostral fat level on fat deposition and plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, and free fatty acids (FFA) were determined in 28 newborn pigs during the first postnatal day. Soon after birth, pigs were allotted to four treatments groups. Group 1 was killed at birth. The remaining pigs were fed intragastrically sow colostrum that contained high (10.2%; HFC), normal (4.8%; NFC) or low (1.0%; LFC) levels of total fat at the rate of 15 to 18 g/kg birth weight at 65- to 70-min intervals. A total of 21 feedings was provided and pigs were killed 1 h after the last feeding. Body fat deposition increased linearly (P less than .01) with the amount of ingested fat by .32 (+/- .04) g per 1-g increase in fat intake. Fatty acid composition of the pigs changed toward that of the colostrum with increased fat in colostrum. More liver glycogen was lost (P less than .01) in pigs given LFC. Plasma concentrations of glucose and insulin were similar in pigs fed HFC and NFC. After the 11th feeding (14 h postnatal), LFC resulted in lower plasma glucose concentrations (P less than .05) than HFC or NFC. Plasma insulin concentrations also were lower in pigs fed LFC. Plasma FFA concentrations remained unchanged in pigs fed LFC but increased with both fat content in colostrum (P less than .05) and time (P less than .05) in the other two groups. Colostral fat plays a major role in the supply of energy and in glucose homeostasis in the neonatal pig.