Metabolic markers in Ossabaw pigs fed high fat diets enriched in regular or low α-linolenic acid soy oil.

Background: Soy oil is a major vegetable oil consumed in the US. A recently developed soybean variety produces oil with a lower concentration of α-linolenic acid, hence a higher (n-6)/(n-3) ratio, than regular soy oil. The study was conducted to determine the metabolic impact of the low α-linolenic acid containing soy oil.

The effect of lipid supplements on ruminal bacteria in continuous culture fermenters varies with the fatty acid composition.

A single flow continuous culture fermenter system was used in this study to investigate the influence of dietary lipid supplements varying in their fatty acid content on the DNA concentration of selected rumen bacteria. Four continuous culture fermenters were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design with four periods of 10 d each. Treatment diets were fed at 45 g/d (DM basis) in three equal portions during the day.