CARNITINE STATUS AND LIPID UTILIZATION IN NEONATAL PIGLETS FED DIETS LOW IN CARNITINE

Forty-eight newborn piglets were assigned to dietary regimens to examine carnitine status and lipid utilization by piglets nursing sows (Diet 1), fed a high-carnitine (1507-mu-mol carnitine/kg dry matter) casein-whey formula (Diet 2) or fed a low-carnitine (35-mu-mol carnitine/kg dry matter) egg white protein formula (Diet 3). Four piglets were killed at birth, and four per dietary group were killed at 3, 7, 14 and 21 d of age. Piglets fed Diet 3 had lower (P < 0.01) carnitine in plasma and liver by d 7 and carnitine remained lower to d 21. Heart carnitine tended to be lower in piglets fed Diet 3, but the differences were not significant. Longissimus muscle carnitine was not affected. In vitro palmitate oxidation was lower (P < 0.05) on d 7 in the liver from piglets fed Diet 3 but not on d 3, 14 and 21. Low dietary carnitine did not affect in vitro liver beta-hydroxybutyrate production or oxidation of palmitate by longissimus muscle. Plasma glucose and nonesterified fatty acids were higher (P < 0.05) in piglets nursing sows than those fed Diets 2 or 3. Piglets receiving Diet 3 had reduced carnitine in plasma and certain tissues, and liver lipid oxidation was depressed on d 7 of age, compared with those receiving the other two diets. Feeding the low carnitine diet did not alter glucose status or plasma lipids and ketones.