The Influence of a Linoleic-Acid-Deficient Maternal Diet on Growth of Progeny

Abstract HOPKINS and Nesheim (1962) demonstrated that the progeny of essential fatty acid (EFA) deficient dams grew slower than progeny of nondeficient dams if the chicks were given a low-fat diet. The effect of EFA depletion of the dams on chick growth rate was not observed when the chicks received soybean oil-supplemented diets. Marion and Edwards (1962) reported that chicks from hens receiving a corn oil diet had a significantly higher rate of growth at 3 weeks than chicks from hens fed a low-fat diet. Menge et al. (1964) also showed that the severity of EFA depletion of the dam had an effect on the growth rate of progeny fed a corn-soy diet. Depletion of the dams of EFA for 16 weeks did not affect the growth rate of the progeny, but after depletion for 32 weeks, the growth rate of the progeny was significantly slower than that of progeny of . . .