Comparison of Ahiflower oil containing stearidonic acid to a high‐alpha‐linolenic acid flaxseed oil at two levels on tissue omega‐3 enrichment in broilers

Abstract

Enrichment of broiler meat with very long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (VLCn-3 FA) is of interest because of their beneficial effects on human health. The ability of Ahiflower ® (AHI) oil (Buglossoides arvensis), which naturally contains stearidonic acid (SDA), and a high-alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) flaxseed (FLAX) oil to enrich VLCn-3 FA contents in broilers tissues was investigated. Fifty-five Cobb 500 chicks were fed from days 12 to 35 of life either a control (CON) diet that contained 27.9 g/kg soybean oil or AHI or FLAX oils, each individually at 7.5 or 22.5 g/kg of the diet in substitution for soybean oil (all on an as fed basis). Total VLCn-3 FA contents were greater in breast, thigh, liver, adipose tissue, and plasma of all n-3 treatments compared to CON, with the greatest increase observed at the highest level of AHI and FLAX oils (p < 0.001). AHI oil at 7.5 g/kg promoted the most efficient synthesis and deposition of VLCn-3 in broiler tissues measured as deposition of VLCn-3 FA in tissues relative to intake of n3 FA. In conclusion, both ALA and SDA oils increased VLCn-3 FA deposition in tissues, but there were diminishing returns when increasing dietary levels of the oils.

Feeding laying hens docosa hexaenoic acid-rich microalgae oil at 40 g/kg diet causes hypotriglyceridemia, depresses egg production, and attenuates expression of key genes affecting hepatic triglyceride synthesis and secretion, but is rescued by dietary co-supplementation of high-oleic sunflower oil

“…However, in order to be converted to VLC n-3 PUFA, ALA must undergo a series of elongation and desaturation steps in the liver ( Saini and Keum, 2018 ). Like humans, chickens have a limited ability to synthesize VLC n-3 PUFA from ALA or stearidonic acid ( SDA : 18:4 n-3), the desaturation product of ALA ( Fraeye et al, 2012 ; Elkin et al, 2015 , 2016 ; El-Zenary et al, 2021 ) and egg and tissue contents of DHA can be more readily enriched by direct dietary supplementation of DHA-rich ingredients ( Leskanich and Noble, 1997 ; Cachaldora et al, 2008 ; Fraeye et al, 2012 , Ribeiro et al, 2013 , Elkin et al, 2015 ; Neijat et al, 2017 ). It is also probable that, as in the rat ( Tu et al, 2010 ), VLC n-3 PUFA synthesis in chickens is regulated more by substrate levels than gene expression ( Elkin et al, 2018 ).…”

Comparison of Ahiflower oil containing stearidonic acid to a high‐alpha‐linolenic acid flaxseed oil at two dietary levels on omega‐3 enrichment of egg yolk and tissues in laying hens

“…It is important to note that high SDA soybean oil and flaxseed oil differ in total n‐3 FA concentration while the AHI and FLAX oils in the current experiment were similar in total n‐3 FA. The same AHI and FLAX oils and levels used in the current experiment had no effect on broiler growth performance in a previous study (El‐Zenary et al, 2021). Flaxseed feeding has been more extensively investigated in poultry and feeding flaxseed oil to laying hens generally has no effects on performance (Bean & Leeson, 2003; Ehr et al, 2017; Huang et al, 2018).…”

“…The DHA content of the yolk was about 50% of that of the liver, which is more than the sum of DHA in both breast and thigh. The total VLCn‐3 was less than 65%, 55%, and 1% of total n‐3 of the liver, breast, and adipose of hens fed n‐3 treatments, which was less than that in broilers that received the same treatment oils and levels (El‐Zenary et al, 2021). This may be because of the higher total fat content in breasts of laying hens (> 100% more than broilers breast).…”

“…Ahiflower ® (AHI) oil, a natural oil extracted from Buglossoides arvensis seeds (also called Lithospermum arvense or corn gromwell), is the richest non-GMO source of SDA ($19% of total FA) and is enriched in ALA ($46%; El-Zenary et al, 2021). We recently reported that broilers fed diets containing 7.5 and 22.5 g/kg AHI oil showed increased total VLCn-3 FA in breast, thigh, liver, adipose tissue, and plasma compared to conventional soybean oil (SOY) and a high-ALA FLAX oil (El-Zenary et al, 2021).…”

“…The objective of the current experiment was to assess the ability of high‐SDA AHI oil and high‐ALA FLAX oil that contained similar total n‐3 FA contents (~65% of total FA) to enrich egg yolks with VLCn‐3 FA at two dietary levels. The treatment levels were selected to be just below and above the previously observed maximal response to FLAX oil in laying hens (1%–2%) and replicated levels tested in a recent broiler experiment (El‐Zenary et al, 2021). Our hypothesis was that high‐SDA AHI oil would increase egg yolk VLCn‐3 FA content more than high‐ALA FLAX oil and that an interaction of n‐3 source, and level would be observed with less enrichment occurring at the high‐dose AHI treatment due to saturation of the VLCn‐3 biosynthetic pathway.…”