Long-chain Fatty Acids In Diet Research Articles

Isolated ascites in a newborn with ‘apple peel’ jejunal atresia

Isolated fetal ascites was diagnosed at 20 weeks in a primiparous woman with no significant medical history. Progressive fetal ascites worsened after 28 weeks and resulted in fetal hydroceles. Delivery...

Fatty acid profile and composition of milk protein fraction in dairy cows fed long-chain unsaturated fatty acids during the transition period

The objective of this study was to evaluate the utilization of different sources of unsaturated long-chain fatty acids in diets for dairy cows during the transition period and early lactation on the milk fatty acid profile and composition of the protein fraction. Thirty-six Holstein cows were divided into three groups, fed the following diets: control (C); soybean oil (SO); and calcium salts of long-chain unsaturated fatty acids (CS). The milk samples utilized for analysis were obtained weekly from parturition to twelve weeks of lactation; each one of the samples originated from two daily milkings. Milk composition and total nitrogen, non-protein nitrogen and non-casein nitrogen levels were analyzed. The cows receiving the diet with calcium salts had lower concentrations of non-protein nitrogen (%CP) in milk compared with the animals fed the diet with soybean oil. There was a decrease in concentration of medium-chain fatty acids C12-C16, and a concomitant increase in concentrations of long-chain fatty acids >C18 in milk fat for the animals fed the diets CS and SO when compared with diet C. Soybean oil and CS diets increased milk-fat concentrations of the acids C18: 1 trans-11, C18: 2 cis-9, trans-11 and C18: 2 trans-10 cis-12 in relation to diet C. The utilization of sources of long-chain fatty acids in the diet of dairy cows increases the biological value of milk in early lactation due to higher concentrations of specific fatty acids such as CLA C18: 2cis-9, trans-11.

Effects of different fat mixtures on milk fatty acid composition and oxidative stability of milk fat

The experiment was carried out to determine effects of different fatty acids (FA) mixtures on milk FA composition and milk fat oxidation change. Thirty-six dairy cows were used in a completed design experiment for 8 weeks. Cows were fed one of three lipid supplements (1) short- and medium-chain fatty acids (SMCFA), (2) butterfat, and (3) long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). Data were analyzed using MIXED procedure of SAS. Daily dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, and milk protein, total solids (TS), lactose, free fatty acids (FFA) content were unaffected among 3 treatments, whereas milk fat concentration was decreased (P<0.05) as carbon chain length increased in supplement lipid. Relative to SMCFA, 12:0, 14:0 and 16:0 concentrations in milk fat from cows on butterfat and LCFA treatment were decreased (P<0.05). Proportions of cis9-18:1, trans9-C18:1, and cis9, trans11-conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) were increased by 15.5, 74.3, and 20.3% (P<0.05) in milk fat from cows on LCFA compared with cows on SMCFA. Similar increases in trans9-18:1, trans11-18:1, cis9, trans11-CLA, 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3 were 34.2, 31.5, 21.4, 11.0, and 15.4% (P<0.05) in butterfat treatments, respectively. Furthermore, activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were decreased (P<0.05) when increased long-chain FA in diets, while concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) was increased (P<0.01) in bovine milk. Our results indicated that long-chain FA exhibit positive effects on milk FA composition, but may decrease oxidative stability of milk fat.

Supplementing different ratios of short- and medium-chain fatty acids to long-chain fatty acids in dairy cows: Changes of milk fat production and milk fatty acids composition

Milk fat synthesis might be promoted by the dietary addition of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) or short- and medium-chain fatty acids (SMCFA). This study evaluated unprotected lipid supplementation with different ratios of SMCFA to LCFA, which had equivalent fatty acid (FA) proportions (by weight) to those in milk, on milk fat production and milk FA composition. Thirty-six Holstein cows (183±46 d in milk) were divided into 3 treatments according to a randomized block design. Cows in 3 treatments received supplements of 80 g/d of SMCFA mixture and 320 g/d of LCFA mixture (ratio of SMCFA to LCFA was 20:80); 400 g/d of butterfat (ratio of SMCFA to LCFA was 40:60); or 240 g/d of SMCFA mixture and 160 g/d of LCFA mixture (ratio of SMCFA to LCFA was 60:40). The FA compositions of the SMCFA mixture and the LCFA mixture were similar to the de novo synthesized FA (except C4:0) and preformed FA (except trans FA) found in the butterfat, respectively. Fatty acid supplements and butterfat were consumed by cows daily before the morning feeding during the 8-wk experimental period. Dry matter intake and milk yield were not different among the treatments. The milk fat percentage and total SMCFA concentration in milk fat tended to increase linearly and the proportion of milk total solids increased linearly with increasing ratios of SMCFA to LCFA in the supplements, whereas milk fat yield was not changed. We suggest that increasing ratios of SMCFA to LCFA in diets has the potential to improve milk fat synthesis.