Cited by 401Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive PhysiologyFatty Acid Research and HealthMeat and Animal Product Quality

The role of microbes in rumen lipolysis and biohydrogenation and their manipulation

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Lourenço, M., Ramos-Morales, E., Wallace, R.J.·2010·animal

Abstract

Despite the fact that the ruminant diet is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), ruminant products - meat, milk and dairy - contain mainly saturated fatty acids (SFA) because of bacterial lipolysis and subsequent biohydrogenation of ingested PUFA in the rumen. The link between SFA consumption by man and coronary heart disease is well established. In contrast, ruminant products also contain fatty acids that are known to be beneficial to human health, namely conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs). The aims of research in this field have been to understand the microbial ecology of lipolysis and biohydrogenation and to find ways of manipulating ruminal microbes to increase the flow of PUFA and CLA from the rumen into meat and milk. This review describes our present understanding of the microbial ecology of ruminal lipid metabolism, including some apparently anomalous and paradoxical observations, and the status of how the metabolism may be manipulated and the possible consequential effects on other aspects of ruminal digestion. Intuitively, it may appear that inhibiting the ruminal lipase would cause more dietary PUFA to reach the mammary gland. However, lipolysis releases the non-esterified fatty acids that form the substrates for biohydrogenation, but which can, if they accumulate, inhibit the whole process. Thus, increasing lipase activity could be beneficial if the increased release of non-esterified PUFA inhibited the metabolism of CLA. Rumen ciliate protozoa do not carry out biohydrogenation, yet protozoal lipids are much more highly enriched in CLA than bacterial lipids. How could this happen if protozoa do not metabolise PUFA? The answer seems to lie in the ingestion of plant organelles, particularly chloroplasts, and the partial metabolism of the fatty acids by contaminating bacteria. Bacteria related to Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens are by far the most active and numerous biohydrogenating bacteria isolated from the rumen. But do we misunderstand the role of different bacterial species in biohydrogenation because there are uncultivated species that we need to understand and include in the analysis? Manipulation methods include dietary vegetable and fish oils and plant-derived chemicals. Their usefulness, efficacy and possible effects on fatty acid metabolism and on ruminal microorganisms and other areas of their metabolism are described, and areas of opportunity identified.

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Crossref · 10.1017/s175173111000042x

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  • Dietary lipids are usually enriched in PUFA, which can make complexes with bacterial cell walls and are considered toxic to gram-positive bacteria in the rumen.

    “These dietary lipids are usually enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (121), which can make complexes with bacterial cell walls and are considered toxic to gram-positive bacteria in the rumen (122).”

    From Phytogenic Additives Can Modulate Rumen Microbiome to Mediate Fermentation Kinetics and Methanogenesis Through Exploiting Diet–Microbe Interaction (2020) · cites this paper as [121]

    The Introduction and “Manipulating ruminal biohydrogenation” sections report that PUFA can be toxic to rumen microorganisms, particularly biohydrogenating bacteria. The passages do not say that PUFA form complexes with bacterial cell walls or specify toxicity to gram-positive bacteria. The dietary-PUFA statement is attached to a different citation (121). (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • Rumen microbiota can detoxify unsaturated FA through the biohydrogenation process to reduce/eliminate the adverse effects on rumen fermentation.

    “However, rumen microbiota can detoxify unsaturated FA through the biohydrogenation process to reduce/eliminate the adverse effects on rumen fermentation (121, 124).”

    From Phytogenic Additives Can Modulate Rumen Microbiome to Mediate Fermentation Kinetics and Methanogenesis Through Exploiting Diet–Microbe Interaction (2020) · cites this paper as [121]

    The Introduction states that ruminal microorganisms biohydrogenate unsaturated fatty acids. The section on interdependence with ruminal metabolism says long-chain unsaturated fatty acids inhibit cellulolytic bacteria and cautions against inhibiting biohydrogenation. These passages support the proposed protective role, but do not establish that biohydrogenation reduces or eliminates adverse effects on rumen fermentation. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. Chin SF, Liu W, Albright K and Pariza MW 1992. Tissue levels of cis-9, trans-11 conjugated dienoic isomer of linoleic acid (CLA) in rats fed linoleic acid (LA). The FASEB Journal 6, A1396.
  2. Garton GA 1977. Fatty acid metabolism in ruminants. In International review of biochemistry of lipids II (ed. TW Goodwin), vol. 14, pp. 337-370. University Park Press, Baltimore, USA.
  3. Jenkins TC, Wallace RJ, Moate PJ and Mosley EE 2008. Recent advances in biohydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids within the rumen microbial ecosystem. Journal of Animal Science 86, 397-412.
  4. Krueger NA, Anderson RC, Callaway TR, Edrington TS, Beier RC, Shelver WL and Nisbet DJ 2009. Effects of antibodies and glycerol as potential inhibitors of ruminal lipase activity. In Proceedings of the 2009 Conference on Gastro- intestinal Function, April 20-22, Chicago, IL, 575pp.
  5. Lee MRF, Theodorou MK, Chow TT and Scollan ND 2002. In-vitro evidence for plant enzyme mediated lipolysis in the rumen. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 61, 103A.
  6. Palmquist DL 1988. The feeding value of fats. In Feed science (ed. ER Orskov), pp. 293-311. Elsevier Science Publisher, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  7. Potu RB, AbuGhazaleh AA, Jones KL, Atkinson RL, Hastings D, Haddock JD and Ibrahim S 2009. Effect of dietary lipids on selected strains of ruminal bacteria. Journal of Dairy Science 92 (E-suppl. 1), 457.
  8. Roth S, Steingass H and Drochner W 2001. Wirkungen von tanninextracten auf die parameter der pansenfermentation in vitro. Proceedings 10th Conference on Nutrition of Domestic Animals-Adolf Pen Zadravec-Erjavec Days, Radenci, Slovenia, pp. 64-70.
  9. Williams AG and Coleman GS 1997. The rumen protozoa. In The rumen microbial ecosystem (ed. PN Hobston and CS Stewart), pp. 73-139.

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Authors
Lourenço, M., Ramos-Morales, E., & Wallace, R. J.
Affiliations
  • Ghent University (BE)
  • University of Aberdeen (GB)
Corresponding author
Wallace, R.J.
Venue
animal
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010
Volume
4
Issue
7
Pages
1008-1023
ISSN
1751-7311 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2097912578
Cited by
401
References
191
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 38 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 36 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 24
FWCI
42.06
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • animal (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Scottish Government
  • Universiteit Gent
  • Vlaamse regering
  • Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds UGent
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Fatty Acid Research and Health
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Meat and Animal Product Quality
Keywords
biohydrogenation, rumen microbiota, polyunsaturated fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid, rumen ciliates, rumen protozoa, free fatty acids, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, dietary vegetable oils, fish oil, plant-derived chemicals, ruminant products, saturated fatty acids, coronary artery disease

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