Kinetic model of rumen biohydrogenation: Fractional rates of fatty acid biohydrogenation and passage

Abstract

A simple model of rumen fatty acid (FA) metabolism is proposed that allows calculation of first order fractional rates of FA biohydrogenation and passage after determination of ruminal pool size and duodenal flux. The model is used to describe the increased duodenal flow of trans-C18:1 FA in diets supplemented with unsaturated rumen-protected FA (UNS, calcium soaps FA). Increasing UNS increased extent of C18:2 and C18:3 biohydrogenation, and decreased extent of trans-C18: 1 biohydrogenation. The model allows a mechanistic description of rumen biohydrogenation and determination of the extent of C18:1 biohydrogenation.