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Combined Supplementation of Rumen-Protected Algae Powder and Rumen-Protected Choline Increases Docosahexaenoic Acid
Senyang Hu1, Zihao Wang1, Hejing Tang1
1Key Laboratory of Precision Nutrition and Food Quality, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, No.17 Tsinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China.
Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Supplementing goat feed with rumen-protected choline (RPC) significantly boosts docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels in milk. This strategy enhances DHA bioconversion efficiency, offering a promising method for producing DHA-enriched dairy products.
Area of Science:
- Animal Nutrition
- Dairy Science
- Nutritional Biochemistry
Background:
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, offers health benefits but is challenging to enrich in ruminant milk due to transport limitations.
- Rumen-protected algae powder (RPA) and rumen-protected choline (RPC) are potential strategies to overcome these limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of combined RPA and RPC supplementation in enhancing DHA enrichment in goat milk.
- To evaluate the impact of different RPC doses on milk DHA content and bioconversion efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Nine lactating goats were divided into three groups receiving RPA alone, RPA + low-dose RPC, or RPA + high-dose RPC for 28 days.
- Analysis included milk DHA content, DHA bioconversion efficiency, serum biochemical parameters, and lipid profiles.
Main Results:
- RPC supplementation significantly increased milk DHA content by 23.0% (low-dose) and 47.3% (high-dose) compared to RPA alone.
- DHA bioconversion efficiency improved from 16.86% (RPA only) to 20.66% and 24.29% with RPC.
- RPC increased serum VLDL and triglyceride concentrations, with lipidomics showing elevated DHA-containing triglycerides (TG-DHA).
Conclusions:
- Rumen-protected choline supplementation effectively enhances DHA enrichment in goat milk, likely by promoting VLDL-mediated DHA transport.
- This study provides insights into nutritional strategies for developing DHA-enriched dairy products.
- Further research with larger populations is needed to validate these findings.
