No abstract

Long-term feeding trials examining the incorporation of conjugated linolenic acids (CLnA) into the diet of laying hens are lacking. In the present study, we compared two diets in sixty-six red Sex-Link hens (33 hens/treatment), fed for 26 weeks. The control diet was high in oleic acid, while the test diet was high in α-linolenic acid (ALA) and punicic acid (PunA). No significant differences were observed between treatments for hens’ performance, egg weight and yolk weight. In contrast, dietary ALA and PunA resulted in a significant increase in n-3 PUFA, rumenic acid (RmA) and PunA contents in egg yolk, as well as in the liver, heart, muscle and adipose tissue of the hens. Other conjugated dienes resulting from the metabolism of PunA or RmA also accumulated in the egg yolk and tissues. Unlike DHA, w[hich was exclusively distributed in phospholipids, ALA, RmA and PunA were preferably distributed in triglycerides.

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), rumenic acid (RmA), and punicic acid (PunA) are claimed to influence several physiological functions including insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism and inflammatory processes. In this double-blind randomized controlled trial, we investigated the combined effect of ALA, DHA, RmA and PunA on subjects at risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Twenty-four women and men were randomly assigned to two groups. Each day, they consumed two eggs enriched with oleic acid (control group) or enriched with ALA, DHA, RmA, and PunA (test group) for 3 months. The waist circumference decreased significantly (-3.17 cm; p < 0.001) in the test group. There were no major changes in plasma insulin and blood glucose in the two groups. The dietary treatments had no significant effect on endothelial function as measured by peripheral arterial tonometry, although erythrocyte nitrosylated hemoglobin concentrations tended to decrease. The high consumption of eggs induced significant elevations in plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL)- and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (p < 0.001), which did not result in any change in the LDL/HDL ratio in both groups. These results indicate that consumption of eggs enriched with ALA, DHA, RmA and PunA resulted in favorable changes in abdominal obesity without affecting other factors of the metabolic syndrome.

Description of the subject. Hop and oak extracts have been found to possess anti-methanogenic and protein-sparing effects in the rumen. Objectives and method. An in vitro incubation with ruminal fluid was conducted to study the effects of increasing inclusions of hop pellets and oak extracts, alone or in combination, on ruminal fermentation parameters. Results. The combination of hop pellets and oak extracts reduced total volatile fatty acid (VFA) production compared with the control (no additive), whereas these additives alone had no effect. The acetate/propionate ratio decreased with the combination of hop pellets and oak extracts, as compared to the control, whereas these additives alone had no effect. Hop pellets at the highest dose alone or in combination with oak extracts reduced the methane (CH 4 ) production, as compared to the control. The CH 4 /VFA molar ratio was lower than the control for hop pellets at the highest dose combined with oak extracts, whereas the additives used alone had no effect. Ammonia N concentration was reduced by oak extracts treatments at the highest dose alone or in combination with hop pellets, as compared to the control. Conclusions. Hop pellets and oak extracts altered in vitro rumen fermentation with some responses being non-linear when used in combination.