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.

Enrichment of egg yolks 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® oil (AHI; Buglossoides arvensis), which is naturally rich in stearidonic acid (SDA), and a high-alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) flaxseed (FLAX) oil to enrich eggs and tissues of laying hens with VLCn-3 FA was investigated. Forty 54-week-old Hy-Line W-36 White Leghorn hens were fed a diet that contained soybean oil (control; CON) or AHI or FLAX oils at 7.5 or 22.5 g/kg of the diet in substitution for the soybean oil for 28 days. Dietary treatments had no effects on egg number or components or follicle development. Total VLCn-3 FA contents of egg yolk, liver, breast, thigh, and adipose tissue were greater in the n-3 treatments compared to CON, with the greatest increase observed at the higher oil level, especially for AHI oil which had the greater VLCn-3 enrichment than FLAX in yolk (p < 0.001). Efficiency of VLCn-3 enrichment of egg yolks was decreased with n-3 oils and by increasing oil level with lowest efficiency at 22.5 g/kg FLAX. In conclusion, both SDA-rich (AHI) and ALA-rich (FLAX) oils increased VLCn-3 FA deposition into egg yolks and hens' tissues, but dietary AHI oil promoted a greater enrichment than comparative amounts of FLAX oil, especially in liver and egg yolks.

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.

The primary goal of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding White Leghorn hens graded levels of a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich microalgae oil (MAO) on productive performance and enrichment of eggs with very long-chain (VLC) omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Forty-nine-week-old hens (8 per diet) were fed the following diets for 28 d: 1) A corn-soybean meal-based diet with no supplemental oil (CON); 2) CON + 10 g/kg MAO; 3) CON + 20 g/kg MAO; 4) CON + 30 g/kg MAO; 5) CON + 40 g/kg MAO; 6) CON + 40 g/kg MAO + 20 g/kg high-oleic sunflower oil (HOSO); and 7) CON + 40 g/kg MAO + 40 g/kg HOSO. Diets 6 and 7 were included because we previously reported that co-feeding high-oleic acid oils with n-3 PUFA-containing oils attenuated egg yolk n-3 PUFA contents vs. feeding hens the n-3 oils alone. All data were collected on an individual hen basis. Egg VLC n-3 PUFA enrichment plateaued, in terms of statistical significance, at the 30 g/kg MAO level (266 mg/yolk). Hens fed 40 g/kg MAO had greatly attenuated measures of hen performance, marked liver enlargement, an altered ovarian follicle hierarchy, greatly lowered circulating triglyceride levels, and depressed hepatic expression of key genes involved in triglyceride synthesis and secretion. As compared to hens fed 40 g/kg MAO alone, feeding hens 40 g/kg MAO co-supplemented with HOSO (Diets 6 and 7) restored egg production, ovarian morphology, and all other measures of hen productive performance to CON levels, elevated plasma triglyceride levels, prevented liver enlargement, and increased the hepatic expression of key genes involved in triglyceride synthesis and secretion. In conclusion, MAO can greatly enrich hens' eggs with VLC n-3 PUFA, but its recommended dietary inclusion should not exceed 20 g/kg. This would allow for near-maximal yolk VLC n-3 PUFA enrichment without impairing hen productive performance, altering the ovarian follicle hierarchy or, based on the work of others, presumably imparting off-flavors in the egg.

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.

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.

Supplemental dietary oils rich in oleic acid or linoleic acid attenuate egg yolk and tissue n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid contents in laying hens co-fed oils enriched in either stearidonic acid or α-linolenic acid.

We previously reported that when laying hens were fed diets supplemented with oils enriched in α-linolenic acid (ALA) and oleic acid (OA), the deposition of n-3 PUFA in egg yolk was attenuated as compared to feeding hens a diet supplemented with the ALA-rich oil alone. The present work extends those findings to another n-3 PUFA-rich oil (stearidonic acid [SDA]-enriched soybean oil) and two other high-OA oils, suggesting that the effect is not plant oil-specific. Feeding hens a supplemental linoleic acid (LA)-rich oil plus an oil rich in either SDA or ALA also attenuated egg yolk ALA and SDA contents (Experiment 1), or egg yolk and liver ALA contents (Experiment 2), respectively, as compared to feeding the SDA- or ALA-rich oils alone. Future work should focus on the lack of neutrality of OA and LA in relation to n-3 PUFA nutrition.