Characterization of 18:1 and 18:2 isomers produced during microbial biohydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids from canola and soya bean oil in the rumen of lactating cows.

Ruminal production of biohydrogenation intermediates in response to unsaturated oils was assessed using 24 Jersey cows fed a control diet or the control diet supplemented at 35 g/kg dry matter (DM) with canola, soya bean, or a mixture of equal amounts of canola plus soya bean oil for 4-weeks. Total fatty acid content averaged 63 or 35 g/kg DM for oil-supplemented diets or control. Oleic acid accounted for 6, 29, 21 or 12 g/kg DM in the control, canola, mixture, or soya bean oil diet, respectively. Linoleic acid averaged 17, 19, 26, or 33 g/kg DM and linolenic acid 5, 5, 6 or 8 g/kg DM for control, canola, mixture, or soya bean oil. Concentrations of cis12-, trans11-, trans13+14, and trans15-18:1 were 0.81, 2.99, 2.24, and 0.73 mg/g rumen fluid, respectively, in response to soya bean oil and were 126, 90, 45, and 38% greater compared with other diets. Trans11cis15-, cis9trans11- and cis9 cis11-18:2 also were greater when soya bean oil (0.30, 0.34 and 0.01 mg/g, respectively) was fed compared with other treatments (0.12, 0.21 and 0.004 mg/g, respectively). Feeding canola oil resulted in greater concentrations of trans4-, trans5-, trans6+7+8-, trans9- and trans10-18:1 (0.20, 0.25, 0.87, 0.39 and 0.70 mg/g, respectively) compared with other diets (0.09, 0.15, 0.36, 0.20 and 0.46 mg/g, respectively). Trans10cis12-18:2 concentration did not differ as a result of diet and averaged 0.002 mg/g rumen contents. The pattern of 18:1 and 18:2 isomers formed during ruminal biohydrogenation depends greatly on dietary profile of unsaturated fatty acids.