[Biohydrogenation of erucic acid (22:1 n-9 cis) in artificial rumen. I). Effect of octadecapolyenoic fatty acids and the incubation period].

Normally dietary octadecapolyenoic fatty acids are anaerobically hydrogenated in ruminants, both "in vivo" in the rumen and "in vitro" with ruminal content. Here it has been investigated in artificial rumen the process concerning the erucic acid (22:1 n-9 cis) compared with and in presence of C 18 polyunsaturated acids at various incubation times. The results have shown that C 18 polyunsaturated acids hydrogenation with conversion into hydrogenation intermediates and stearic acid does always occur in contrast with erucic acid where it is never revealable, unrelated to the incubations conditions applied.