Background:The intake of trans fatty acids (TFA) from industrially hydrogenated vegetable oils (iTFA) is known to have a deleterious effect on cardiovascular health, the effects of TFA from ruminants (rTFA) are virtually unknown. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of rTFA and iTFA on plasma LDL concentrations and other cardiovascular disease risk factors in healthy subjects. Design: In a double-blind, randomized crossover controlled study, 38 healthy men were fed each of 4 experimental isoenergetic diets lasting 4 wk each. The 4 diets were high in rTFA (10.2 g/2500 kcal), moderate in rTFA (4.2 g/2500 kcal), high in iTFA (10.2 g/2500 kcal), and low in TFA from any source (2.2 g/2500 kcal) (control diet). Results: Plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations were significantly higher after the high-rTFA diet than after the control (P ҃ 0.03) or the moderate-rTFA (P ҃ 0.002) diet. Plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations also were significantly (P ҃ 0.02) higher after the iTFA diet than after the moderate-rTFA diet. Plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations were significantly (P ҃ 0.02) lower after the highrTFA diet than after the moderate-rTFA diet. Finally, all risk factors were comparable between the control and the moderate-rTFA diets. Conclusions: These results suggest that, whereas a high dietary intake of TFA from ruminants may adversely affect cholesterol homeostasis, moderate intakes of rTFA that are well above the upper limit of current human consumption have neutral effects on plasma lipids and other cardiovascular disease risk factors.Am J Clin Nutr 2008;87:593-9.

A study was conducted to determine the effects of moist heat treatment (autoclaving at 127 • C with a steam pressure of 117 kPa for 10, 20 and 30 min) of sunflower seed on crude protein (CP) fractions, ruminal dry matter (DM) and CP degradabilities, and ruminal disappearance of amino and fatty acids. Two ruminally fistulated cows were used in a randomised complete block design. Heating of sunflower seed decreased soluble protein and increased neutral detergent-insoluble protein, with little effect on acid detergent-insoluble protein. Results of the in sacco study showed that moist heat treatment decreased (cubic effect, P < 0.05) ruminal degradability of DM and CP of sunflower seed. Ruminal undegraded CP of raw sunflower seed was low (84 g kg −1 of CP) and increased (cubic effect, P < 0.05) by 139, 143 and 164% as the heating time increased from 0 to 10, 20 and 30 min respectively. Ruminal disappearance of all amino acids (following 12 h of incubation) was greater (P < 0.05) for raw than for heated sunflower seed. Similar results were also observed for ruminal disappearance of fatty acids. It was concluded that moist heat treatment decreased ruminal DM and CP degradability of sunflower seed (by 17 and 19% respectively) and thus increased the concentrations of amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids available for digestion in the small intestine.

This study investigated the effect of supplementing the diet of calves with two direct fed microbials (DFMs) (Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079 (SCB) and Lactobacillus acidophilus BT1386 (LA)), and an antibiotic growth promoter (ATB). Thirty-two dairy calves were fed a control diet (CTL) supplemented with SCB or LA or ATB for 96 days. On day 33 (pre-weaning, n = 16) and day 96 (post-weaning, n = 16), digesta from the rumen, ileum, and colon, and mucosa from the ileum and colon were collected. The bacterial diversity and composition of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of pre- and post-weaned calves were characterized by sequencing the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. The DFMs had significant impact on bacteria community structure with most changes associated with treatment occurring in the pre-weaning period and mostly in the ileum but less impact on bacteria diversity. Both SCB and LA significantly reduced the potential pathogenic bacteria genera, Streptococcus and Tyzzerella_4 (FDR ≤ 8.49E-06) and increased the beneficial bacteria, Fibrobacter (FDR ≤ 5.55E-04) compared to control. Other potential beneficial bacteria, including Rumminococcaceae UCG 005, Roseburia and Olsenella, were only increased (FDR ≤ 1.30E-02) by SCB treatment compared to control. Furthermore, the pathogenic bacterium, Peptoclostridium, was reduced (FDR = 1.58E-02) by SCB only while LA reduced (FDR = 1.74E-05) Ruminococcus_2. Functional prediction analysis suggested that both DFMs impacted (p < 0.05) pathways such as cell cycle, bile secretion, proteasome, cAMP signaling pathway, thyroid hormone synthesis pathway and dopaminergic synapse pathway. Compared to the DFMs, ATB had similar impact on bacterial diversity in all GIT sites but greater impact on the bacterial composition of the ileum. Overall, this study provides an insight on the bacteria genera impacted by DFMs and the potential mechanisms by which DFMs affect the GIT microbiota and may therefore facilitate development of DFMs as alternatives to ATB use in dairy calf management.

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