The blood
glutathione peroxidase levels of one day old piglets from 22 litters were examined.
Body weight and piglet survival were monitored in order to assess the relationship between these two factors and blood
glutathione peroxidase activity. The mean blood
glutathione peroxidase level of one day old piglets (65 mu/gHb) was significantly lower (p0.001) than the mean level (85 mu/gHb) at weaning. The mean blood
glutathione peroxidase activity of one day old piglets was not related to the size of the litter, but was related (p less than 0.1) to the mean litter blood
glutathione peroxidase level at weaning time. Piglet blood
glutathione peroxidase was not related to piglet
body weight. The blood
glutathione peroxidase level of the sows at one-day post-farrowing was not related to the mean blood
glutathione peroxidase activity of their litters at one day of age but was correlated (p less than 0.1) with the mean blood
glutathione peroxidase levels of their litters at weaning. Piglet viability was shown to be strongly correlated (p less than 0.001) with
body weight at one day of age. The blood
glutathione peroxidase level of one day old piglets was weakly associated (p less than 0.1) with piglet survival. Further work is required to clarify this latter observation, which suggests that
selenium supplementation to newborn piglets may be beneficial regardless of the dams nutritional status.