A survey of vitamin and trace mineral ranges for diagnostic lab reporting from conventionally raised swine

Objective: The purpose of this study was to survey the vitamin and mineral levels in various pig tissues at different phases of the life cycle. Materials and methods: Forty-eight healthy pigs of different stages of production were used for sampling of different tissues. Seven sows and a minimum of 10 animals from each phase of production (suckling, nursery, and finishing) were selected for sampling. A blood sample was collected via sterile venipuncture for serum vitamin and mineral analysis. After euthanasia, the diaphragm and liver were collected. Samples were submitted to the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for analysis. Data were analyzed using SAS (version 9.4; SAS Institute Inc) and presented as minimum and maximum concentrations with standard error. The experimental unit was the animal. Results: Levels of vitamin A, vitamin E, copper, zinc, selenium, iron, and manganese were higher in liver tissues than in serum and diaphragm tissues. Diaphragm muscle had similar levels of phosphorus as the liver tissue. Serum had similar levels of calcium as the liver tissue. Implications: These data provide a sampling of vitamin and mineral levels present in tissues and serum of commercial pigs and suggests that vitamin and mineral levels differ between sampling sites.