Colostrum, n-3 FA status and immune response of newborn kids as influenced by maternal lipid supplementation

Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA), mainly EPA (C20:5 n-3) and DHA (C22:6 n-3) play a crucial role during pregnancy and peri-natal growth. In particular, for DHA, a specific role during fetal and neonatal development has been recognized, but DHA status of the mother and the new-born may be sub-optimal if maternal intake is insufficient. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of supplementing saturated fatty acids (FA) or LC n-3 PUFA to the diets of late gestating dairy goats on FA profile of colostrum and plasma of newborn suckling kids and on their immune response. The saturated FA supplement (calcium stearate, ST) was rich in 16:0 (26 %) and 18:0 (69.4 %) and the LC n-3 PUFA supplement (fish oil, FO) was rich in EPA (10.4 %) and DHA (7.8 %). Starting from the last wk of gestation until 3 wk after kidding, 23 multiparous Alpine dairy goats were divided into 3 groups: C (control diet), FO and ST. FO and ST diets were formulated to administer 30 and 50 g/head/d of FA during pre- and post- kidding. Newborn kids were fed colostrum from their own dam within 2 h of birth. Individual colostrum was sampled within the first 24 h postpartum for FA determination. Neonatal blood samples were collected weekly from birth until 21 d of life for evaluation of FA profile and immune response. The source of maternal lipid supplement did change the FA profile of colostrum and the n-3 FA status of newborn kids. Maternal FO supplementation enhanced total n-3 PUFA in colostrum (1.78 vs 0.72 and 0.76 g/100g FA, P< 0.01) and in plasma of suckling kids during the first 3 wk postnatally (5.27 vs 2.32 and 3.27 g/100g FA, P< 0.01, in FO, C and ST respectively). IgA at 2 d after birth was higher in the plasma of kids born from ST dams (0.54 vs. 0.20 and 0.14 mg/ml, P≤0.01) and also the overall mean was higher (0.18 vs. 0.07 and 0.07 mg/ml, P≤0.01 in ST, FO and C respectively). Circulating concentrations of IgG were higher for the whole experimental period in plasma of kids born from ST vs FO (17.14 vs 9.80 mg/ml, P<0.01) and C dams (11.43 mg/ml, P<0.05). In conclusion, the n-3 FA status of newborn kids can be improved by supplementing the maternal diet with n-3 PUFA and is associated to the increased supply of EPA and DHA from maternal circulation during fetal development and from colostrum during early neonatal period. Unexpectedly, in the present trial, kids from mother fed ST showed the most significant variations in immune response.