Effects of Dietary Copper Sulfate on the Fatty Acid Composition of Porcine Depot Fats

Abstract

Twenty-four Hampshire × Yorkshire barrows were fed a barley-fishmeal diet. A comparison was made between the diet without added copper (containing 6 mg. Cu/kg. diet) and one with 280 mg. supplemental copper/ kg. diet. The pigs were restricted to a scale of feeding based on liveweight. Copper supplementation of the diet resulted in a significant increase in the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the outer backfat, inner backfat and perinephric fat at 26, 47 and 70 kg. liveweight. There was a corresponding decrease in the proportion of saturated fatty acids. No significant differences were found in fatty acid composition of these fats at 90 kg. liveweight, although the former pattern of distribution still existed. The increase in the proportion of unsaturated acids could be accounted for largely by increases in 16:1 and 18:1 fatty acids with corresponding decreases in 16:0 and 18:0 acids.