EFFECT OF FASTING AND RE-FEEDING WITH DIFFERENT FAT SUPPLEMENTS ON HEPATIC LIPIDOSIS IN MINK.

Fatty liver syndrome is a metabolic disorder that occurs in mink (Mustela vison). The aim of this study was to compare the effects of dietary fat sources (chicken oil, fish oil and soybean oil) on the recovery fatty liver syndrome in female mink in response to short term fasting for 5 days and subsequent re-feeding for 7-28 days. Food deprivation resulted in the rapid mobilization of body fat, causing an elevated hepatosomatic index and increased liver lipid content. Re-feeding resulted in a more pronounced recovery of liver health in the mink fed the fish oil diet than chicken oil or soybean oil diet. The fish oil diet was found to be useful to relieve the severity of hepatic lipidosis in mink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]