The role of plant particles, bacteria and cell-free supernatant fractions of rumen contents in the hydrolysis of trilinolein and the subsequent hydrogenation of linoleic acid.

The role of different fractions of rumen contents in the hydrolysis of trilinolein and the subsequent hydrogenation of the linoleic acid has been investigated by a series of in vitro incubations. Hydrolysis of the trilinolein to free linoleic acid occurs almost wholly in the cell-free supernatant; the liberated linoleic acid in the supernatant can be rapidly adsorbed onto food particles where it is hydrogenated to stearic acid via the C18 trans-11 monoene. Some 25% of the trilinolein added as substrate was taken up by the bacteria and of this a small percentage appeared to be hydrolysed and the free linoleic acid hydrogenated to stearic acid intracellularly. No conclusive evidence was obtained to suggest that this intracellular hydrogenation proceeded by a route other than that which took place on the food particles.