Effect of Concentrate Level on the Formation of Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Trans-octadecenoic Acid by Ruminal Bacteria when Incubated with Oilseeds In Vitro

An in vitro study was conducted to examine the effect of addition level of concentrate on fermentation characteristics and long-chain unsaturated fatty acids composition, especially conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and trans-octadecenoic acid (t-FA) by mixed ruminal bacteria when incubated with linseed or rapeseed. Four levels (0.83, 1.25, 1.67 and 2.08%, w/v) of concentrate and ground oilseeds (linseed or rapeseed; 0.83%, w/v) were added to mixed solution of strained rumen fluid with artificial saliva (1:1, v/v) in the glass jar with a glass lid equipped with stirrer, and was incubated anaerobically for 24 h at $39^{\circ}C$. Addition level of concentrate slightly reflect on pH and ammonia concentration of the culture solution at the various incubation times when incubated with both linseed and rapeseed. Total VFA concentration slightly increased with incubation times and concentrate levels for incubations with oilseeds. While CLA composition had a clearly increasing trend with incubation time when incubated with linseed, percent CLA was relatively stable when incubated with rapeseed. Percent CLA, however, had a clearly decreasing trend with concentrate level throughout incubation times with significances at 3 h incubations when incubated with linseed (p<0.038) and rapeseed (p<0.0009). The differences in compositions of t-FA were relatively small among concentrate levels for both incubations with linseed and rapeseed. The ratios of t-FA to CLA were lower for linseed with increased proportion of CLA than for rapeseed.