Effects of fatty acids on meat quality: a review

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a naturally occurring anticarcinogen found in milk fat and body fat of ruminants. Although CLA is an intermediate in ruminal biohydrogenation of linoleic acid, we hypothesized that its primary source was from endogenous synthesis. This would involve Delta(9)-desaturase and synthesis from trans-11 18:1, another intermediate in ruminal biohydrogenation. Our first experiment supplied lactating cows (n = 3) with trans-11 18:1 by abomasal infusion and examined the potential for endogenous synthesis by measuring changes in milk fat CLA. By d 3, infusion of trans-11 18:1 resulted in a 31% increase in concentration of cis-9, trans-11 CLA in milk fat, demonstrating that an active pathway for endogenous synthesis of CLA exists. Our second experiment examined the quantitative importance of endogenous synthesis of CLA in lactating cows (n = 3) by abomasally infusing a putative stimulator (retinol palmitate) or an inhibitor (sterculic oil) of Delta(9)-desaturase. Infusion of retinol palmitate had no influence on milk fatty acid desaturation, and yield of CLA in milk fat was not altered. However, sterculic oil infusion decreased the concentration of CLA in milk fat by 45%. Consistent with Delta(9)-desaturase inhibition, the sterculic oil treatment also altered the milk fat concentration of other Delta(9)-desaturase products as indicated by the two- to threefold increase in the ratios of 14:0 to 14:1(,) 16:0 to 16:1 and 18:0 to cis-18:1. Using changes in the ratio of 14:0 to 14:1 as an indication of the extent of Delta(9)-desaturase inhibition with the sterculic oil treatment, an estimated 64% of the CLA in milk fat was of endogenous origin. Overall, results demonstrate that endogenous synthesis of CLA from trans-11 18:1 represented the primary source of CLA in milk fat of lactating cows.

Conjugated linoleic acid is synthesized endogenously in lactating dairy cows by Delta(9)-desaturase.

Lipid metabolism in the rumen.

Fat in lactation rations: review.

Feed and animal factors influencing milk fat composition

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are normally hydrogenated by microorganisms in the rumen. Because of this hydrogenation ruminant triglycerides contain very low proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids. A new process is described whereby polyunsaturated oil droplets are protected from ruminal hydrogenation by encapsulation with formaldehyde-treated protein. The formaldehyde-treated protein resists breakdown in the rumen thereby protecting the fatty acids against microbial hydrogenation. When these protected oils are fed to ruminants the formaldehydeprotein complex is hydrolyzed in the acidic conditions of the abomasum and the fatty acids are absorbed from the small intestine. This results in substantial changes in the triglycerides of plasma, milk and depot fats, in which the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids is increased from 2–5% to 20–30%. These effects are observed in the plasma and milk within 24–48 hr of feeding while a longer period is necessary to alter the composition of sheep depot fat. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to human and ruminant nutrition.

Protection of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids against microbial hydrogenation in ruminants.

The effect of dietary fat supplements on cholesterol metabolism in ruminants.

Unsaturated fatty acids can be protected from ruminal hydrogenation, and, when fed to lactating ruminants, the constituent acids are incorporated into milk triacylglycerols. By this means, it has been possible to reduce the melting point of milk triglycerides and to make softer butter fat. This report shows that, by feeding small amounts of protected cyclopropene fatty acids, one is also able to make harder butter fat.Sterculia foetida seed oil, a rich source of cyclopropene fatty acids, was emulsified with casein and spray dried to yield a free flowing dry powder. When this material was treated with formaldehyde and fed to lactating goats (ca. 1 g cyclopropene fatty acids per day), there were substantial increases in the proportions of stearic acid and decreases in the proportions of oleic acid in milk fat. Similar results were obtained when the formaldehyde-treated supplements were fed to lactating cows (ca. 3 g cyclopropene fatty acids per day). The effect was considerably less apparent when theS. foetida seed oilcasein supplement was not treated with formaldehyde, suggesting that cyclopropene fatty acids are hydrogenated in the rumen as are other unsaturated fatty acids. The effect of feeding protected cyclopropene fatty acids on the stearic: oleic ratio in milk fat is probably due to cyclopropene-mediated inhibition of the mammary desaturase enzymes.

Effects of protected cyclopropene fatty acids on the composition of ruminant milk fat.

Dietary fats which were protected from ruminal metabolism were fed to ruminants, and the constituent fatty acids subsequently appeared in the glycerides of tissues and secretory products. These dietary fat induced alterations in tissue lipid composition were particularly apparent when the fat source was enriched with linoleic acid. Similarly, when pigs were fed linoleic-enriched fats, the linoleic acid was incorporated into the adipose tissue triglycerides. Stereospecific analyses were carried out on triglycerides from various tissues and secretory products obtained from animals fed control or linoleate-enriched diets. The analysis of adipose tissue triglycerides showed that linoleate and oleate were preferentially esterified to positions 2 and 3 (cattle and sheep), and positions 1 and 3 (pigs). Of the other major adipose tissue fatty acids, palmitate was preferentially esterified at position 1 (ruminants) and position 2 (pigs), and stearate was preferentially esterified at positions 1 and 3 (ruminants), and position 1 (pigs). Stereospecific analysis of high mol wt milk triglycerides showed that linoleate was either evenly distributed on all three positions (goats), or predominantly on position 3 (cows). Furthermore, the incorporation of this linoleate did not markedly alter the positional specificity of the other major milk triglyceride fatty acids. Of these fatty acids, the short and medium chain length acids (butyratelaurate) were mainly on position 3, myristate and palmitate on positions 1 and 2, and stearate and oleate evenly distributed. Thoracic duct lymph triglycerides from sheep tended to show preferential incorporation of linoleate at position 3, palmitate at position 2, and stearate at position 1 and 3; oleate, on the other hand, tended to be evenly distributed on all three positions of the lymph triglyceride. The stereospecific arrangement of fatty acids in sheep liver triglycerides was similar to that of lymph triglycerides, and this may reflect the uptake of intact or partially hydrolysed chylomicron and/or very low density lipoprotein triglycerides by the liver. There were also some analogies in the stereospecific arrangement of fatty acids on ruminant lymph and milk triglycerides and this may reflect an incomplete hydrolysis of chylomicron and/or very low density lipoprotein triglycerides prior to uptake by the mammary gland. An unusual feature of lymph from sheep fed linoleate was the presence of phospholipids which contained large amounts of linoleate in ca. equal proportion at both positions 1 and 2 of the phospholipid molecule.

Effect of dietary fat supplementation on the composition and positional distribution of fatty acids in ruminant and porcine glycerides.

Formaldehyde has been used to protect proteins and lipids from metabolism in the rumen, and the present studies were designed to investigate the metabolism of [140]formaldehyde when given to ruminants as an aldehyde-casein-oil complex. Approximately 60-80% of the consumed [140]formaldehyde was metabolized to carbon dioxide and methane, a further 11-27% was excreted in the faeces, and 5-6% was accounted for in the urine. The amount of radioactivity excreted either in the expired air or faeces appeared to be dependent on the length of the reaction time between the aldehyde and casein prior to feeding. Small amounts of 140 radio· activity were detected in body tissues and milk, but this was not present as formalde· hyde. It is concluded that ruminants effectively metabolize formaldehyde and there is no accumulation of this compound in the carcass or milk.

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S. C. Mills

Papers

Protection of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids against microbial hydrogenation in ruminants.

The effect of dietary fat supplements on cholesterol metabolism in ruminants.

Effects of protected cyclopropene fatty acids on the composition of ruminant milk fat.

Effect of dietary fat supplementation on the composition and positional distribution of fatty acids in ruminant and porcine glycerides.

Metabolism of [14C]Formaldehyde When Fed to Ruminants as an Aldehyde-Casein-Oil Complex