Effect of dietary corn oil on the linoleic acid content of adipose tissue lipids in barley-fed lambs

Abstract

Ruminants have extremely low concentrations of polyunsaturated acids in their adipose tissue as a result of hydrogenation of dietary lipids by microbes in the rumen. The possible association between intake of ruminant products high in ‘saturated’ lipids and the incidence of atherosclerosis in man has stimulated research on procedures for altering the fatty acid composition of ruminant tissue lipids. Vegetable oils, emulsified with a protein, spray-dried, and treated with formaldehyde, have been found to be protected from hydrolysis and hydrogenation in the rumen (Cooket al.1970; Scott, Cook & Mills, 1971). Their subsequent digestion in the small intestine, and absorption of the fatty acids by the animal, results in tissue lipids high in linoleic acid (Faichneyet al.1972; Faichney, Scott & Cook, 1973; Cooket al.1972; Garrettet al.1976).

Use of full-fat soybeans as a source of rumen bypass polyunsaturated fatty acids for beef cattle finishing diets

“…Ttove and Mochrie (1963) also found some escape from biohydrogenation of full-fat soybeans when fed to lactating cows. Dairy cow rations supplemented with enough fat to provide either 5% dietary fat from raw soybeans (Perry and î4acleod, 1968) or 6% dietary fat from either raw soybeans or whole sunflower seeds (Clarke et al, 1977) or sunflower oil (Gibney and L'Estrange, 1975) had up to threefold more 18:2 in adipose tissue than did unsupplemented controls. Both Lassiter (1968) and reported increases in the content of unsaturated fatty acids in adipose tissue of sheep fed high-corn or corn plus corn oil diets.…”