Effects of abomasal infusion of essential fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid on performance and fatty acid, antioxidative, and inflammatory status in dairy cows

Abstract

The objective of this study was to test the effects of essential fatty acids (EFA), particularly α-linolenic acid, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on fatty acid (FA) composition, performance, and systemic and hepatic antioxidative and inflammatory responses in dairy cows. Four cows (126 ± 4 d in milk) were investigated in a 4 × 4 Latin square and were abomasally infused with 1 of the following for 6 wk: (1) coconut oil (control treatment, CTRL; 38.3 g/d; providing saturated FA), (2) linseed and safflower oil (EFA treatment; 39.1 and 1.6 g/d, respectively; providing mainly α-linolenic acid), (3) Lutalin (BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany; CLA treatment; cis-9,trans-11 and trans-10,cis-12 CLA, 4.6 g/d each), (4) or EFA+CLA. The initial dosage was doubled every 2 wk, resulting in 3 dosages (dosage 1, 2, and 3). Cows were fed a corn silage-based total mixed ration with a high n-6/n-3 FA ratio. Dry matter intake and milk yield were recorded daily, and milk composition was measured weekly. The FA compositions of milk fat and blood plasma were analyzed at wk 0, 2, 4, and 6. The plasma concentration and hepatic mRNA abundance of parameters linked to the antioxidative and inflammatory response were analyzed at wk 0 and 6 of each treatment period. Infused FA increased in blood plasma and milk of the respective treatment groups in a dose-dependent manner. The n-6/n-3 FA ratio in milk fat was higher in CTRL and CLA than in EFA and EFA+CLA. The sum of FA <C16 in milk fat decreased in CLA and EFA+CLA in a dosage-dependent manner. Energy-corrected milk and milk fat decreased in CLA and EFA+CLA in a dosage-dependent manner and were higher in EFA and CTRL than in CLA at dosages 2 and 3. Energy balance tended to be highest in CLA cows. Milk protein content was lower in CLA and EFA+CLA than in CTRL. Milk urea concentration decreased in CLA and EFA+CLA in a dosage-dependent manner and was lower in CLA and EFA+CLA than in EFA and CTRL at dosages 2 and 3. Milk citrate concentration increased in CLA in a dosage-dependent manner and was higher in CLA and EFA+CLA than in EFA and CTRL. Glutathione peroxidase activity in blood plasma was lower in CTRL than in EFA, and plasma concentration of β-carotene increased in EFA and EFA+CLA with dosage. Increased milk citrate pointed at reduced de novo FA synthesis and a better antioxidative status in milk due to CLA treatment. Supplementation with CLA may also affect milk protein synthesis, but EFA and CLA treatment did not influence the inflammatory status in a consistent manner in mid-lactating cows.

The Effect of CLA-Rich Isomerized Poppy Seed Oil on the Fat Level and Fatty Acid Profile of Cow and Sheep Milk

“…Baumgart et al [42] indicated that abomasal infusion of 3.5, 7, and 14 g/d of trans-10,cis-12 CLA in cows for five days decreased milk fat concentration by 24%, 37%, and 46%, respectively, while both isomers trans-10,cis-12 and cis-9,trans-11 CLA decreased milk fat concentration by 28%, 40.8%, and 38.6%-58.1%, respectively, in the studies by Urrutia and Harvatine [20], Vyas et al [43], and Haubold et al [7]. In the experiment by Dohme-Meier and Bee [44], the supplementation of unprotected CLA decreased fat content in cow milk by 53.8%.…”

“…(a) Means of fat and fatty acid content of total lipids of milk from cows that were fed the two diets (CTRL and EXP) at the three sampling times (7, 14, and 30 d). (b) Means of fatty acid (FA) groups with varying degrees of saturation and carbon chain length, desaturase index, and atherogenic index of milk from cows that were fed the two diets (CTRL and EXP) at the three sampling times (7 3 SEM, standard error of the mean; 4 probability of significant effects due to diet (D), time (T), and their interaction (D × T); * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, NS, not significant; 5 SFAs, saturated fatty acids; 6 SCFAs, short-chain fatty acids (FAs with C4-10); 7 MCFAs, medium-chain fatty acids (FAs with C12-16:0); 8 MUFAs, monounsaturated fatty acids; 9 PUFAs, polyunsaturated fatty acids; 10 Σ, CLA cis-9,trans-11; trans-10,cis-12; trans-9,cis-11; trans-11,cis-13 and trans-11,trans-13; 11 DI, desaturase index represents the ratio of product and substrate for ∆ 9 -desaturase (double bonds are in the cis orientation unless otherwise indicated); 12 AI, atherogenic index calculated from (C12:0 + (4 x C14:0) + C16:0)/(MUFAs + PUFAs). 3 SEM, standard error of the mean; 4 probability of significant effects due to diet (D), time (T), and their interaction (D × T); * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; NS, not significant; 5 SFAs, saturated fatty acids; 6 SCFAs, short-chain fatty acids (FAs with C4-10); 7 MCFAs, medium-chain fatty acids (FAs with C12-16:0); 8 MUFAs, monounsaturated fatty acids; 9 PUFAs, polyunsaturated fatty acids; 10 Σ, CLA cis-9,trans-11; trans-10,cis-12; trans-9,cis-11; trans-11,cis-13 and trans-11,trans-13; 11 DI, desaturase index represents the ratio of product and substrate for ∆ 9 -desaturase (double bonds are in the cis orientation unless otherwise indicated); 12 AI, atherogenic index calculated from (C12:0 + (4 x C14:0) + C16:0)/(MUFAs + PUFAs).…”

“…Many health-related properties of CLA isomers have been studied, including anticancerogenic, anti-atherosclerotic, antioxidant, and anti-obesity properties, protection of immune system, and contribution to bone formation and body composition [2,3]. There is an extensive literature suggesting that the trans-10,cis-12 isomer is responsible for a reduction in lipid deposition [4,5] and inhibition of fat synthesis in the mammary gland [6,7].…”

Lipid Accumulation and Injury in Primary Calf Hepatocytes Challenged With Different Long-Chain Fatty Acids

“…The content of MDA produced by lipid peroxidation by ROS is also a marker for oxidative stress, thus, the greater concentration of MDA in response to exogenous SFA in the present study underscored the existence of serious oxidative stress. In vivo study, mid-lactating cows was supplemented SPA, α-linolenic acid, and conjugated linoleic acid for 6 weeks, respectively, it was found that SFA supplemented cows showed more serious oxidative stress with a lower plasma glutathione peroxidase activity than in α-linolenic acid, and lower plasma concentration of β-carotene than in α-linolenic acid and conjugated linoleic acid (36). Our previous in vitro studies confirmed that increases in ROS during mitochondrial metabolism can further enhance ER stress (37).…”

Effects of Dietary Fatty Acids on Bovine Oocyte Competence and Granulosa Cells

“…Forty German Holstein-Friesian cows at 18th week of gestation in their 2nd lactation were kept in a free-stall barn at the Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany. Cows included in the study were surgically fitted with rumen fistulas and abomasal tubes to bypass rumen derived biohydrogenation of supplemented FA (17). The cows were studied in 5 blocks each consisting of 8 cows (2 cows per supplementation group and per block) from week 9 ante partum (ap) up to week 8 post-partum (pp) in their 3rd lactation.…”