Kansas State University. Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
Doi
Abstract
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients for humans, but dietary intake of these
nutrients by many Americans is inadequate due to low consumption of omega-3-rich
foods such as fish, walnuts, and flaxseed. In contrast, per capita consumption of red
meat is relatively high, but these products normally contain only small amounts of
omega-3 fatty acids. Feeding cattle diets that contain omega-3 fatty acids has consistently
increased the proportion of the desirable fats that accumulate in beef. Unfortunately,
the proportion of dietary omega-3 fats that are deposited into beef tissues is
relatively low, because microorganisms within the rumen biohydrogenate the unsaturated
omega-3 fatty acids extensively to produce the saturated fats that are characteristic
of beef fat. Encapsulation of fats has been proposed as a method for improving efficiency
of transfer of omega-3 fats into beef. Encapsulation processes apply a protective
barrier on the surface of fats or fat-containing feeds, which theoretically decreases fats’
susceptibility to microbial biohydrogenation. Protective coatings must remain intact to
retain their functionality, and physical damage to the coatings that occurs with normal
handling can result in poor efficacy because the core material is exposed to microorganisms
in the rumen. Embedding feed particles within a homogeneous protective matrix
constitutes a potentially useful alternative to protective surface barriers. The matrix is
created by mixing feed particles that are to be protected with a suitable matrix material
that is resistant to microbial digestion and subsequently forming the mixture into pills.
In cases where physical damage occurs, exposure of the core material is confined to the
broken surface, and the remainder of the matrix retains its ruminal stability.
The objective of this study was to determine if embedding flaxseed within a matrix of
hydrated dolomitic lime could be used as a method to decrease biohydrogenation of
polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, thus improving efficiency of omega-3 fatty acids
absorption into the bloodstream