New strategies for the protection of PUFA from ruminal microbiome - Nannochloropsis oceanica as a source of rumen-protected EPA

Dietary n-3 PUFA fed to ruminants are extensively hydrogenated through ruminal biohydrogenation resulting in a very low efficiency of its transfer to tissues. The development or identification of novel strategies to protect PUFA from biohydrogenation, to increase the amount of PUFA bypassing the rumen could circumvent the problem. Using naturally PUFA-protected sources such as microalgae like Nannochloropsis sp. can be an alternative but there is a need to evaluate the impact on rumen an intestinal microbiome composition.