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Abstract
1. Two experiments were performed to assess the effect of different amounts of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on fatty acid composition of chickens. The contribution of de novo fatty acid synthesis to fatty acid profile was also estimated.
2. In trial 1, different fat sources were blended in different ratios allowing a gradient of dietary PUFA (from 15 to 61 g/kg), keeping added fat constant (9%). In trial 2, PUFA-rich oil was added at increasing inclusion rates (2, 4, 6 and 8%), achieving a dietary PUFA content ranging between 27 and 59 g/kg.
3. Increasing dietary PUFA inclusion resulted in an increase in PUFA deposition, with higher efficiency when dietary fat also provided saturated (SFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) fatty acids (trial 1).
4. Increasing dietary PUFA in both trials resulted in a decrease in SFA and MUFA concentration in the whole body.
5. The estimated deposition of fatty acids from de novo synthesis was reduced when dietary fat content increased from 0 to 10%, varying between 35·34 and 17·66% for SFA and between 52·70 and 7·01% for MUFA in the whole body. The greater variation range for the MUFA supports the existence of a mechanism maintaining the SFA: (MUFA + PUFA) ratio within a specific range in biological membranes.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Agrupación de Fabricantes de Aceites Marinos, S.A., for the donation of the fish oil. This work was supported, in part, by a research grant from the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (CICYT).