Oil palm frond supplementation can change fatty acid composition of rumen fluid, muscle tissue and blood cholesterol level in crossbred male sheep

Abstract

Diet composition is the major factor influencing the fatty acid composition of products derived from
ruminants. Thirty 7-month-old, Barbados Black Belly × Malin crossbred male sheep were used for the trial to determine
the effects of dietary supplementation of oil palm (Eleis guineensis) frond (OPF) on the fatty acid profiles of rumen fluid,
muscle tissue and blood lipid parameters. Treatment diets were control diet (CON group, n=10), 25% OPF pellet in diet
(% w/w) (HAF group, n=10) and 50% OPF pellet in diet (OPF group, n=10). After 100 days of feeding, eight sheep from
each group were slaughtered for sampling of rumen fluid and muscle tissues. The CON group showed fluctuating and
increasing total saturated fatty acid (SFA) concentrations in the rumen liquor compared to the OPF group and differed
significantly (P<0.05) at different times of measurement. The SFA in the longissimus dorsi, psoas major, gluteus medius,
Semimembranosus and triceps brachii muscles of the CON group were also significantly (P<0.05) higher than the OPF
group. For all muscles, C18:3n-3 fatty acid was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the OPF group than in the CON group
with minimal impact on the C18:2n-6 and total PUFA n-6. The HDL-Cholesterol values of the OPF group was almost
40% higher than those of the CON group (P˂0.05). The results demonstrated a feasible way to alter the fatty acid
composition of mutton based on feeding practices using indigenous fiber source.