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Identification and Ruminal Outflow of Long-Chain Fatty Acid Biohydrogenation Intermediates in Cows Fed Diets Containing Fish Oil

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Lipids

Abstract

The abundance of 20- to 24-carbon fatty acids in omasal digesta of cows fed grass silage-based diets supplemented with 0 (Control) and 250 g/day of fish oil (FO) was examined to investigate the fate of long-chain unsaturated fatty acids in the rumen. Complimentary argentation thin-layer chromatography and gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry analysis of fatty acid methyl esters and corresponding 4,4-dimethyloxazoline derivatives prepared from fish oil and omasal digesta enabled the structure of novel 20- to 22-carbon fatty acids to be elucidated. Compared with the Control, the FO treatment resulted in the formation and accumulation of 27 novel 20- and 22-carbon biohydrogenation intermediates containing at least one trans double bond and the appearance of cis-14 20:1, 20:2n-3, 21:4n-3 and 22:3n-6 not contained in fish oil. No conjugated ≥20-carbon fatty acids were detected in Control or FO digesta. In conclusion, fish oil in the diet results in the formation of numerous long-chain biohydrogenation intermediates in the rumen of lactating cows. Comparison of the intake and flow of 20-, 21- and 22-carbon fatty acids at the omasum in cows fed the Control and FO treatments suggests that the first committed steps of 20:5n-3, 21:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 hydrogenation in the rumen involve the reduction and/or isomerisation of double bonds closest to the carboxyl group.

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Abbreviations

DMOX:

4,4-Dimethyloxazoline

FAME:

Fatty acid methyl ester

GC:

Gas chromatography

GC–MS:

Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

HPLC:

High-performance liquid chromatography

TLC:

Thin-layer chromatography

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Acknowledgments

Financial support from the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is gratefully acknowledged and appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Animal Production Research, MTT Agrifood Research Finland, 31600, Jokioinen, Finland

    Piia Kairenius, Vesa Toivonen & Kevin J. Shingfield

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  1. Piia Kairenius
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  2. Vesa Toivonen
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  3. Kevin J. Shingfield
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Correspondence to Kevin J. Shingfield.

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Kairenius, P., Toivonen, V. & Shingfield, K.J. Identification and Ruminal Outflow of Long-Chain Fatty Acid Biohydrogenation Intermediates in Cows Fed Diets Containing Fish Oil. Lipids 46, 587–606 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-011-3561-1

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