Rubber seed oil and flaxseed oil supplementation on serum fatty acid profile, oxidation stability of serum and milk, and immune function of dairy cows

Feeding and Nutritional Factors That Affect Somatic Cell Counts in Milk of Sheep and Goats

The purpose of this quantitative review is to highlight the effects of feeding strategies using some mineral, vitamin, marine oil, and vegetable essential oil supplements and some agri-food by-products to reduce SCCs in the milk of sheep and goats. According to the results, only specific dietary factors at specific doses could reduce SCCs in the milk of dairy sheep and goats. The combination of Se and vitamin E in the diet was more effective in sheep than in goats, while the inclusion of polyphenols, which are also present in food matrices such as agro-industrial by-products, led to better results. Some essential oils can be conveniently used to modulate SCCs, although they can precipitate an off-flavoring problem. This work shows that SCCs are complex and cannot be determined using a single experimental factor, as intramammary inflammation, which is the main source of SC in milk, can manifest in a subclinical form without clinical signs. However, attention to mineral and vitamin supplementation, even in the most difficult cases, such as those of grazing animals, and the use of anti-inflammatory substances directly or through by-products, can improve the nutritional condition of animals and reduce their SCCs, offering undeniable benefits for the milk-processing sector as well.

Effect of Flaxseed Supplementation on Milk and Plasma Fatty Acid Composition and Plasma Parameters of Holstein Dairy Cows

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of whole flaxseed and ground flaxseed supplementation on the composition of fatty acids in plasma and milk, particularly the content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs). Thirty Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to three treatment groups. Cows were fed a total mixed ration without flaxseed (CK), 1500 g of whole flaxseed (WF), and 1500 g of ground flaxseed (GF) supplementation. There were no differences observed in dry matter intake, milk yield, energy-corrected milk, and 4% fat-corrected milk (p > 0.05). Compared with the CK group, the contents of α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosatrienoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid increased in the plasma and milk WF and GF groups, and the content of docosahexaenoic acid and total n-3 PUFA was higher in GF than the other groups (p < 0.001). The ALA yield increased to 232% and 360% in WF and GF, respectively, compared to the CK group. Compared with the WF group, GF supplementation resulted in an increased milk ALA/ALA intake ratio (p < 0.001). Flaxseed supplementation increased the activity of GSH-Px and decreased the concentration of MDA in milk (p < 0.001). Plasma parameters did not differ among the treatments (p > 0.05). This result indicated that compared with the WF group, GF supplementation in the diet showed higher efficiency in increasing the total n-3 PUFA levels and the milk ALA/ALA intake ratio, and decreased the ratio of n-6 PUFAs to n-3 PUFAs in milk.

Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) seed oil supplementation attenuates immunological stress and inflammatory response in lipopolysaccharide-challenged laying hens

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of PUFA-enriched rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) seed oil (RSO) supplementation in diets on the productive performance, plasma biochemical parameters, immune response, and inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged laying hens. Two hundred and forty 25-wk-old Lohmann Brown laying hens were randomly divided into 5 treatments, each including 4 replicates with 12 birds per replicate. The control group and LPS-challenged group were fed a corn-soybean-basal diet; 3 RSO-supplemented groups were fed experimental diets containing 1, 2, and 4% RSO for a feeding period of 4 wk. On the 15, 18, 21, 24, and 27 d of the RSO supplementation period of 4 wk, hens were injected intraperitoneally with LPS at 1 mg/kg body weight (challenge group and RSO-supplemented groups) or with the same amount of saline (control group). The results showed that the addition of RSO promoted laying performance by increasing egg production, total egg weight, daily egg mass, and feed intake in comparison to the LPS-challenged laying hens (P < 0.05). In addition, compared with laying hens stimulated with LPS, the analysis of blood cell and plasma parameters revealed that hens in RSO-supplemented groups had significantly lower levels (P < 0.05) of white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes (LYM), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity, immunoglobulin A (IgA), triiodothyronine (T3), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Further, RSO supplementation significantly reduced the mRNA expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) of the ileum, spleen, and liver in LPS-challenged laying hens (P < 0.05), suggesting that the anti-inflammatory mechanism of RSO is related to the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. In conclusion, RSO supplementation in diets could improve laying performance, attenuate immunological stress, and inhibit the inflammatory response in LPS-challenged laying hens, especially at the dietary inclusion of 4% RSO. This study will provide an insight into the application of RSO to positively contribute to overall health and welfare in laying hens.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Rubber Seed Oil in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced RAW 267.4 Macrophages

Rubber seed oil (RSO) is a typical PUFA-enriched plant oil, but it has not been widely used as a healthy edible oil resource due to the lack of understanding of its nutritional values, health biological effects, and action mechanisms. This work was conducted to characterize the basic physicochemical properties, evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and explore the involved mechanisms of RSO in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. In the present study, the basic physicochemical parameters of RSO indicated that RSO has good qualities as a potential edible plant oil resource. In LPS-induced macrophages, RSO supplementation displayed a significant antioxidant effect by decreasing ROS and MDA levels as well as elevating T-AOC. In addition, RSO supplementation showed an anti-inflammatory effect by reducing the production of NO, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α while promoting the production of IL-10. Moreover, RSO supplementation decreased the mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, iNOS, and MCP-1 genes while increasing the mRNA expression of the IL-10 gene. Furthermore, RSO supplementation increased Nrf2 protein expression and up-regulated antioxidant genes (HO-1 and NQO-1), which was accompanied by the decrease in TLR4 protein expression and NF-κB p65 phosphorylation as well as IκBα phosphorylation. This study provided some insight into the applications of RSO as a healthy edible oil resource.

Effects of dietary rubber seed oil on production performance, egg quality and yolk fatty acid composition of Hy-Line Brown layers

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the effects of dietary supplement of rubber seed oil on production performance, egg quality, and yolk fatty acid composition in laying hens during a 16-week feeding trial period.

Methods

Forty-eight 25-week-old laying hens of Hy-Line Brown were randomly divided into three groups. Each group comprised four replicates and each replicate had four birds. Rubber seed oil was incorporated into a corn-soybean meal basal diet by 3.5% (group I), 4.5% (group II), or 0 (control group) and equivalent nutrition was supplied for the test groups and the control group. The performance related values were determined using standard or well established methods.

Results

No significant difference was found in the production performance, the egg quality, the composition of saturated fatty acids, and the content of cholesterol and monounsaturated fatty acids in the yolk within the three groups. Interestingly, both test groups achieved a significantly higher content of linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid and a significantly lower content of arachidonic acid (p<0.05) compared with the control group. With the increased level of dietary rubber seed oil, there was an increasing trend in the content of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n-3 PUFA and total PUFA, but a declining trend in the n-6/n-3 ratio.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that the rubber seed oil supplemented diet effectively improved the total PUFA content in eggs without impairing the layers’ production performance and the egg quality.