Effects of flaxseed encapsulation on biohydrogenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids by ruminal microorganisms: feedlot performance, carcass quality, and tissue fatty acid composition.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of protecting PUFA within ground flaxseed against ruminal biohydrogenation by encapsulating them in a matrix consisting of a 1:1 blend of ground flaxseed and dolomitic lime hydrate (L-Flaxseed). Crossbreed heifers ( = 462, 346 ± 19 kg) were blocked by weight and randomly assigned to pens. Pens were assigned to 1 of 6 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design. Treatment 1 consisted of a combination of 54.6% steam-flaked corn (SFC), 30.0% wet corn gluten feed, 8.0% roughage, and supplement (0% flaxseed). In treatments 2 and 3, a proportion of SFC was replaced with 3 and 6% flaxseed, respectively; in treatments 4, 5, and 6, SFC was replaced with 2, 4, or 6% L-Flaxseed, respectively. Cattle were fed for 140 or 168 d and then harvested in a commercial abattoir where carcass data were collected. Approximately 24 h after harvest, carcasses were evaluated for 12th-rib fat thickness, KPH, LM area, marbling score, and USDA yield and quality grades. Samples of LM were also obtained for determination of long-chain fatty acid profiles. Cattle that were fed diets with 4 and 6% L-Flaxseed consumed less feed than other treatments ( < 0.05), which adversely affected ADG. Compared with cattle fed 0% flaxseed, cattle in these treatments had lower final BW (18 and 45 kg less for the 4 and 6% L-Flaxseed treatments, respectively), less ADG (0.16 and 0.48 kg/day less for the 4 and 6% L-Flaxseed treatments, respectively), and lower carcass weights, dressing percentages, LM areas, backfat thicknesses, and marbling scores ( < 0.05). The addition of flaxseed or 2% L-Flaxseed did not affect performance or carcass traits ( > 0.05). Supplementation with flaxseed increased ( < 0.05) the concentration of α-linolenic acid (ALA) in meat (0.173, 0.482, 0.743 mg/g for 0, 3, and 6% flaxseed, respectively). Furthermore, proportionate increases in the ALA content of muscle tissue were 47% greater when flaxseed was encapsulated within the dolomitic lime hydrate matrix (0.288, 0.433, 0.592 mg/g for 2, 4, and 6% L-Flaxseed, respectively). Both products showed a linear response in ALA concentration ( > 99%; increases for Flaxseed and L-Flaxseed of 0.095 and 0.140 mg of ALA/g of tissue for each percentage of flaxseed added). This study indicates that a matrix consisting of dolomitic lime hydrate is an effective barrier to ruminal biohydrogenation of PUFA; however, adverse effects on DMI limit the amounts that can be fed.

Protection of polyunsaturated fatty acids against ruminal biohydrogenation: Pilot experiments for three approaches.

Three methods for protection of PUFA against biohydrogenation by ruminal microorganisms were evaluated. In method 1 a blend of ground flaxseed, calcium oxide, and molasses was processed through a dry extruder. In method 2, a blend of ground flaxseed, soybean meal, molasses, and baker's yeast was moistened and prewarmed, allowing enzymes from yeast to produce reducing sugars, and the mixture was subsequently processed through a dry extruder like in method 1. In method 3, ground flaxseed was embedded within a matrix of dolomitic lime hydrate (L-Flaxseed) as a protective barrier against biohydrogenation. Dolomitic lime was mixed with ground flaxseed, water was added, the mixture was blended in a high-speed turbulizer, and the resulting material was then dried to form a granular matrix. Methods 1 and 2 were tested in 1 study (study 1), and method 3 was tested in 2 studies (studies 2 and 3). In study 1, 60 crossbred yearling steers (BW = 475 ± 55 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design experiment. Steers were fed for 12 d with a diet consisting of 48.73% steam-flaked corn, 35% wet corn gluten feed, 12% corn silage, and 4.27% vitamins and minerals (Control). For the other 4 treatments, a portion of wet corn gluten feed was replaced with 5% of unprocessed or extruded mixtures as described for methods 1 and 2. Steers were weighed, and jugular blood samples were taken for analysis of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) on d 0 and 12 of the study. Both methods failed to improve resistance of PUFA against biohydrogenation (P > 0.1). In study 2, in situ fatty acid disappearance was evaluated for ground flaxseed (Flaxseed) or L-Flaxseed using 6 ruminally fistulated Holstein steers. The proportion of α-linolenic acid (ALA) that was resistant to ruminal biohydrogenation was approximately 2-fold greater for L-Flaxseed than for Flaxseed (P < 0.05). In study 3, 45 steers (269 ± 19.5 kg initial BW) were used in a randomized complete block design. Steers were fed diets containing 0% Flaxseed (No Flaxseed), and in treatments 2 and 3, a portion of flaked corn was replaced with Flaxseed or L-Flaxseed. Animals were weighed and blood samples were taken on d 0, 7, and 14 of the study, and LCFA were analyzed. The use of L-Flaxseed in study 3 increased plasma concentrations of ALA to more than 4 times the level observed in cattle fed unprotected flaxseed, suggesting the dolomitic lime hydrate was effective as a protective barrier against biohydrogenation.