Table 4.
EPA, DHA, total n-3, and ratio of n-3:n-6 in phase 1 and phase 2 diets and in plasma from pigs fed with diets supplemented with 3.12% microalgae (AL; n = 8), 1.25% fish oil (FO; n = 8), or 5% corn oil (CON; n = 8) diets. Data from dietary fatty acid analysis presented as raw data; results from plasma fatty acid analysis presented as LSM ± SEM.
| Treatment | AL | FO | CON |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 diets, % total fatty acids | |||
| EPA 1 | 0.36 | 1.66 | 0.05 |
| DHA 2 | 5.32 | 1.52 | 0.00 |
| Total n-3 3 | 7.53 | 5.92 | 2.00 |
| Ratio n3:n6 4 | 0.16 | 0.12 | 0.04 |
| Phase 2 diets, % total fatty acids | |||
| EPA | 0.26 | 2.00 | 0.07 |
| DHA | 5.71 | 1.87 | 0.33 |
| Total n-3 | 8.01 | 6.89 | 2.36 |
| Ratio n3:n6 | 0.18 | 0.14 | 0.04 |
| Piglet plasma, % total fatty acids | |||
| EPA | 1.74 ± 0.34 b | 6.00 ± 0.34 a | 0.16 ± 0.34 c |
| DHA | 5.76 ± 0.26 a | 2.93 ± 0.26 b | 0.00 ± 0.26 c |
| Total n-3 | 8.95 ± 0.57 a | 11.23 ± 1.12 a | 0.12 ± 1.73 b |
| Ratio n-3:n-6 | 0.21 ± 0.017 a | 0.29 ± 0.033 a | 0.018 ± 0.051 b |
1 EPA, eicosapentanoic acid; 2 DHA, docosahexanoic acid; 3 total n-3, total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; 4 ratio n-3:n-6, ratio of total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to total omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids; a,b,c differing letters across rows indicate significant differences (p < 0.05) between treatments.