Krammer Gabriele, Aurich Jörg
Section for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Andrology, University of Veterinary-Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
Berl Munch Tierarztl Wochenschr. 2010 Nov-Dec;123(11-12):496-9.
The present study investigated the effects of intramuscularly administered beta-carotene on reproductive parameters in female pigs. A total of 216 multiparous sows were observed from weaning of their litters until the next farrowing. On the day of weaning, the animals were allocated to two groups. Sows of the treatment group were injected with 70 mg beta-carotene both at the day of weaning and after the last insemination, sows of the control group were left untreated. For all sows, intramuscular injection of beta-carotene resulted in a significant increase of the total number of piglets born per litter by 1.2 (p < 0.05). When sows were divided by parity, beta-carotene treatment in second parity sows increased the total number of piglets per litter (beta-carotene 13.7 +/- 1.2, control 11.2 +/- 3.7, p < 0.01) and the number of piglets born alive (beta-carotene 12.0 +/- 2.7, control 10.0 +/- 3.4, p < 0.05). No such effect was seen in sows of third or higher parity. No other reproductive parameters were affected by beta-carotene supplementation. Tolerability and safety of the administered preparation were good. No side effects related to the medication were observed. The effect of beta-carotene on reproduction is thus affected by parity of the sows. This effect seems to be exerted mainly during early pregnancy and is most likely beta-carotene-specific and independent from its role as a vitamin A precursor.
本研究调查了肌肉注射β-胡萝卜素对母猪繁殖参数的影响。从仔猪断奶至下一次分娩期间，共观察了216头经产母猪。断奶当天，将这些动物分为两组。治疗组母猪在断奶当天和最后一次输精后均注射70mgβ-胡萝卜素，对照组母猪不进行处理。对所有母猪而言，肌肉注射β-胡萝卜素使每窝产仔总数显著增加了1.2头（p<0.05）。按胎次对母猪进行划分时，第二胎母猪的β-胡萝卜素处理增加了每窝仔猪总数（β-胡萝卜素组13.7±1.2头，对照组11.2±3.7头，p<0.01）以及活产仔猪数（β-胡萝卜素组12.0±2.7头，对照组10.0±3.4头，p<0.05）。第三胎及以上胎次的母猪未观察到这种效果。补充β-胡萝卜素未影响其他繁殖参数。所给药制剂的耐受性和安全性良好。未观察到与用药相关的副作用。因此，β-胡萝卜素对繁殖的影响受母猪胎次的影响。这种影响似乎主要在妊娠早期发挥作用，并且很可能是β-胡萝卜素特异性的，与其作为维生素A前体的作用无关。
