Effects of rumen exposure to anise oil on ruminal fermentation and biohydrogenation of N–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

This study evaluated the effect of four weeks of microbial exposure to anise oil  (ANO) on the fermentation activities of ruminal micro-organisms and the  biohydrogenation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). A total of six Hartline ×Texel cross lambs were used. Three of the lambs were randomly assigned to the  basal diet (basal diet group, BDG) and the remaining three lambs were offered basal diet with ANO (anise oil group, AOG) for four weeks. The rumen fluid donor lambs were offered water and hay ad libitum and supplemented with additional 400 g/sheep/day of concentrate plus 2.4 g/sheep/day of ANO (for the AOG). The ANO was thoroughly mixed with the concentrate prior to feeding. The total amount (400 g) of lamb finisher cubes offered per sheep/day was divided into two equal parts (200g) and fed at 08.00 and 16.00 hours, respectively. After the four weeks’ exposure period, lambs were slaughtered and ruminal fluid (RF) was collected from each of the lambs on BDG and on AOG and used in a 48 h in vitro batch culture system to study the fermentation of a 70: 30 grass hay (Lolium perenne) and  concentrate (lamb finisher) diet. The study was a 2 (batches of rumen fluid: BDG and AOG) × 2 (doses of ANO: 0 and 200 mg/L) factorial design experiment. Results showed that total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) in RF extracted from lambs on the BDG (242.0 mM) was similar to that in the AOG (242.2 mM). Concentrations of TVFA in in vitro digests were similar between groups on the BDG (68.6 mM) and on the AOG (66.4 mM), but differed between levels of anise oil (0 versus 200 mg/L). The levels of NH3-N were not different (P>0.05) between the RF collected from AOG and BDG. However, in vitro results showed that AOG 200 mg/L induced a 20% decrease on the concentration of NH3-N in fermentation vessels, relative to BDG 0 mg/L. The in vitro digesta incubated in RF from the AOG (i.e. AOG 200 mg/L) maintained higher concentrations of PUFA (C18:2 n-6 and n-3 PUFA), transvacceric acid and lower concentration of stearic acid. This suggests that there was no rumen adaptation within the period of trial. This study concludes that anise oil is potentially a useful feed additive to optimise the fatty acid composition of ruminant feedstuffs, if these effects are repeated in meat and milk.Keywords: Rumen filtrate, anise oil, biohydrogenation, polyunsaturated fatty aci

Effects of oil and natural or synthetic vitamin E on ruminal and milk fatty acid profiles in cows receiving a high-starch diet

Among trans fatty acids, trans-10,cis-12 CLA has negative effects on cow milk fat production and can affect human health. In high-yielding dairy cows, a shift from the trans-11 to the trans-10 pathway of biohydrogenation (BH) can occur in the rumen of cows receiving high-concentrate diets, especially when the diet is supplemented with unsaturated fat sources. In some but not all experiments, vitamin E has been shown to control this shift. To ascertain the effects of vitamin E on this shift of BH pathway, 2 studies were conducted. The first study explored in vitro the effects of addition of natural (RRR-α-tocopherol acetate) and synthetic (dl-α-tocopherol acetate) vitamin E. Compared with control and synthetic vitamin E, the natural form resulted in a greater trans-10/trans-11 ratio; however, the effect was very low, suggesting that vitamin E was neither a limiting factor for rumen BH nor a modulator of the BH pathway. An in vivo study investigated the effect of natural vitamin E (RRR-α-tocopherol) on this shift and subsequent milk fat depression. Six rumenfistulated lactating Holstein cows were assigned to a 2 × 2 crossover design. Cows received 20-kg DM of a control diet based on corn silage with 22% of wheat, and after 2 wk of adaptation, the diet was supplemented with 600 g of sunflower oil for 2 more weeks. During the last week of this 4-wk experimental period, cows were divided into 2 groups: an unsupplemented control group and a group receiving 11 g of RRR-α-tocopherol acetate per day. A trans-10 shift of ruminal BH associated with milk fat depression due to oil supplementation of a high-wheat diet was observed, but vitamin E supplementation of dairy cows did not result in a reversal toward a trans-11 BH pathway, and did not restore milk fat content

Independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene, and improved complementary feeding, on child stunting and anaemia in rural Zimbabwe: a cluster-randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Child stunting reduces survival and impairs neurodevelopment. We tested the independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) on stunting and anaemia in in Zimbabwe. METHODS: We did a cluster-randomised, community-based, 2 × 2 factorial trial in two rural districts in Zimbabwe. Clusters were defined as the catchment area of between one and four village health workers employed by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care. Women were eligible for inclusion if they permanently lived in clusters and were confirmed pregnant. Clusters were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to standard of care (52 clusters), IYCF (20 g of a small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement per day from age 6 to 18 months plus complementary feeding counselling; 53 clusters), WASH (construction of a ventilated improved pit latrine, provision of two handwashing stations, liquid soap, chlorine, and play space plus hygiene counselling; 53 clusters), or IYCF plus WASH (53 clusters). A constrained randomisation technique was used to achieve balance across the groups for 14 variables related to geography, demography, water access, and community-level sanitation coverage. Masking of participants and fieldworkers was not possible. The primary outcomes were infant length-for-age Z score and haemoglobin concentrations at 18 months of age among children born to mothers who were HIV negative during pregnancy. These outcomes were analysed in the intention-to-treat population. We estimated the effects of the interventions by comparing the two IYCF groups with the two non-IYCF groups and the two WASH groups with the two non-WASH groups, except for outcomes that had an important statistical interaction between the interventions. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01824940. FINDINGS: Between Nov 22, 2012, and March 27, 2015, 5280 pregnant women were enrolled from 211 clusters. 3686 children born to HIV-negative mothers were assessed at age 18 months (884 in the standard of care group from 52 clusters, 893 in the IYCF group from 53 clusters, 918 in the WASH group from 53 clusters, and 991 in the IYCF plus WASH group from 51 clusters). In the IYCF intervention groups, the mean length-for-age Z score was 0·16 (95% CI 0·08-0·23) higher and the mean haemoglobin concentration was 2·03 g/L (1·28-2·79) higher than those in the non-IYCF intervention groups. The IYCF intervention reduced the number of stunted children from 620 (35%) of 1792 to 514 (27%) of 1879, and the number of children with anaemia from 245 (13·9%) of 1759 to 193 (10·5%) of 1845. The WASH intervention had no effect on either primary outcome. Neither intervention reduced the prevalence of diarrhoea at 12 or 18 months. No trial-related serious adverse events, and only three trial-related adverse events, were reported. INTERPRETATION: Household-level elementary WASH interventions implemented in rural areas in low-income countries are unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia and might not reduce diarrhoea. Implementation of these WASH interventions in combination with IYCF interventions is unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia more than implementation of IYCF alone. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UK Department for International Development, Wellcome Trust, Swiss Development Cooperation, UNICEF, and US National Institutes of Health.The SHINE trial is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1021542 and OPP113707); UK Department for International Development; Wellcome Trust, UK (093768/Z/10/Z, 108065/Z/15/Z and 203905/Z/16/Z); Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; US National Institutes of Health (2R01HD060338-06); and UNICEF (PCA-2017-0002)

Biohydrogenation of dietary n-3 PUFA and stability of ingested vitamin E in the rumen, and their effects on microbial activity in sheep

The present study investigated the susceptibility of dietary n-3 PUFA to ruminal biohydrogenation, the stability of ingested vitamin E in the rumen and the subsequent uptake of PUFA and vitamin E into plasma. Six cannulated sheep were assigned to six diets over five 33 d periods, in an incomplete 6 X 5 Latin square. The diets, based on dried grass, were formulated to supply 50 g fatty acids/kg DM using three lipid sources: Megalac(R) (calcium soap of palm fatty acid distillate; Volac Ltd, Royston, Herts., UK), linseed (formaldehyde-treated; Trouw Nutrition, Northwich, Ches., UK) and linseed-fish oil (formaldehyde-treated linseed + fish oil). The diets were supplemented with 100 or 500 mg alpha-tocopheryl acetate/kg DM. Fat source or level of vitamin E in the diet did not alter microbial activity in the rumen. Biohydrogenation of linoleic acid (18: 3n-6; 85-90 %), linolenic acid (18: 3n-3; 88-93 %), docosahexaenoic acid (22: 6n-3; 91 %) and EPA (20: 5n-3; 92 %) was extensive. Feeding formaldehyde-treated linseed elevated concentrations of 18: 3n-3 in plasma, whilst 22: 6n-3 and 20: 5n-3 were only increased by feeding the linseed-fish oil blend. Duodenal recovery of ingested vitamin E was high (range 0.79-0.92 mg/mg fed). High dietary vitamin E was associated with increased plasma alpha-tocopherol (2.57 v. 1.46 mug/ml for 500 and 100 mg alpha-tocopheryl acetate/kg DM respectively), although all concentrations were low. Plasma vitamin E levels, however, tended to decrease as the type and quantity of PUFA in the diet increased. The present study illustrates that nutritionally beneficial PUFA in both fish and linseed oils are highly susceptible to biohydrogenation in the rumen. Although alpha-tocopheryl acetate resisted degradation in the rumen, plasma vitamin E status remained deficient to borderline, suggesting either that uptake may have been impaired or metabolism post-absorption increased