Flaxseed Containing Lipid Supplement Increases Omega-3 Content in Bovine Serum More Than Ground Flaxseed

The transfer efficiency of lipid supplements rich in PUFAs such as flaxseed into blood is often poor because PUFA are hydrogenated in the rumen. To prevent ruminal biohydrogenation of PUFA, various methods of PUFA protection have been tested with limited success. In this study, a novel method to “rumen-protect” flaxseed is proposed, which encapsulates flaxseed using a proprietary method (12BT40; N3Feed® LLC; Tualatin, OR). To determine whether 12BT40 increases omega-3 concentrations in bovine serum more than its ingredients alone, we used a double 3 x 3 Latin square design; 6 mid- to late-lactation, pregnant Holstein cows (1 block each for primaparous and multiparous cows) were fed 0 kg/d (Negative Control), 3 kg/d of 12BT40 (Treatment), and 3 kg/d of the unprocessed ingredients of 12BT40 (Treatment Control) as top-dressing for 2-week periods each. Serum samples were collected at the end of each 2-week treatment period and analyzed for their fatty acid profile, respectively. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS version 9.4. Fixed effects were treatment, period, and parity. Repeated measures within cows were modeled with the random statement. Compared with Treatment Control, 12BT40 increased total serum fatty acid concentrations from 148±18 to 183±18 μg/mL (P=0.03) (Negative control: 138±18 μg/mL). 12BT40 supplementation increased serum omega-3 concentrations from 25.4±2.9 μg/mL to 34.6±2.9 μg/mL (P=0.01) (Negative control: 16.4±2.9 μg/mL). Thus, we conclude that 12BT40 is effective in increasing total fatty acid concentrations and omega-3 concentrations in bovine serum beyond what can be achieved with feeding an equal amount of ground flaxseed.