Site variation in the deposition of linoleic acid in adipose tissue of cattle given formaldehyde-treated sunflower seed

Abstract

Fatty acid analyses were carried out on adipose tissues from several anatomical locations in steers raised either under grazing conditions or on a diet containing 30% of formaldehyde-treated sunflower seed. The level of linoleic acid deposited in adipose tissue of steers receiving the protected sunflower seed (PSS) varied from 9.2% in the brisket to 20.4% in the channel fat. A technique which permits the simultaneous calculation of both the extent of deposition of exogenous lipid at any anatomical location, and the degree of in vivo protection of the seed oil from ruminal hydrogenation, is described. By means of this technique, the PSS was calculated to be 71.6% protected from in vivo hydrogenation, and fat from the PSS was found to be preferentially incorporated into the internal depots and the tissues of the forequarter rather than those in the hindquarters of the steers. This technique has application in the determination of patterns of deposition of dietary fat at different stages of development and in different breeds of cattle and sheep.