In situ ruminal biohydrogenation of fatty acids from extruded soybeans: effects of dietary adaptation and of mixing with lecithin or wheat straw

Kinetics and intermediates of biohydrogenation of fatty acids were investigated in situ using extruded soybeans, a blend of extruded soybeans and lecithin (99:1), or a blend of extruded soybeans plus wheat straw (66:34). Two dry dairy cows received successively a diet with added palmitic acid and a diet with added extruded soybeans, and assays were completed after a 3-week adaptation to each diet. Adaptation of the cows to dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids suppressed the lag time before the beginning of biohydrogenation. Adaptation of cows, and mixing straw with soybeans, increased the rate of biohydrogenation of C18:2 and C18:3, resulting in less C18:2 and C18:3, and more trans C18:1 and C18:0 in the in situ bags. Lecithin did not affect the kinetics of biohydrogenation or the profile of fatty acids in the in situ bags. Differences in the rate of biohydrogenation, and profile of residual fatty acids in the bags were observed between the two cows. Even with a mixture of soybeans and straw in cows receiving dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids, biohydrogenation was slower and resulted in higher proportions of trans-C18:1 than expected from results of literature in vivo. Results show that the biohydrogenation in situ is slow, highly dependent on experimental conditions, and that the use of several cows, adapted to the test fat source before the assay is initiated, is necessary in order to obtain a reliable estimate of kinetics parameters.