Table 5. The milk fatty acids profile (g/100 g of total fatty acids) in the transition ewes fed two flaxseed types and two RUP levels

Level and type flaxseed
No flaxseed 10% whole flaxseed 10%extruded flaxseed SEM1) p-value
20%RUP (NFLR) 40%RUP (NFHR) 20%RUP (WFLR) 40%RUP (WFHR) 20%RUP (EFLR) 40%RUP (EFHR) Flax RUP Flax × RUP
Fatty acid
 C4:0 1.41 1.55 1.87 1.88 1.61 1.94 0.15 0.69 0.70 0.94
 C6:0 1.43 1.36 1.42 1.39 1.49 1.42 0.06 0.93 0.717 0.99
 C8:0 1.96 1.68 1.80 2.07 1.86 1.90 0.09 0.71 0.95 0.20
 C10:0 5.96 5.78 5.7 5.88 5.86 5.39 0.18 0.91 0.75 0.86
 C11:0 0.16 0.20 0.18 0.17 0.18 0.15 0.10 0.82 0.97 0.42
 C12:0 3.42 3.15 3.4 3.92 3.12 3.74 0.12 0.41 0.23 0.25
 C13:0 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.05 0.09 0.04 0.006 0.001 0.001 0.001
 C14:0 10.56 10.84 9.01 9.04 9.13 9.31 0.25 0.007 0.59 0.94
 C14:1 0.12 0.13 0.19 0.22 0.20 0.25 0.02 0.03 0.26 0.75
 C15:0 0.67 0.75 0.99 1.07 0.66 0.82 0.006 0.084 0.03 0.59
 C16:0 27.24 27.19 26.97 24.30 23.53 23.40 0.69 0.11 0.47 0.63
 C16:1 0.66 0.53 0.89 0.96 1.04 1.06 0.08 0.002 0.74 0.17
 C17:0 1.05 0.88 0.68 0.75 0.79 0.58 0.05 0.03 0.05 0.06
 C17:1 0.58 0.44 0.20 0.21 0.25 0.22 0.04 0.001 0.08 0.13
 C18:0 13.87 13.48 13.72 14.13 13.59 13.21 0.30 0.86 0.88 0.89
 C18:1n9t 2.74 3.16 3.68 3.84 3.00 4.73 0.25 0.21 0.10 0.31
cis-9C18:1, oleic acid 24.06 24.25 23.87 21.61 25.10 25.23 0.66 0.47 0.68 0.76
trans-9 trans-12C18:2 0.27 0.34 0.33 0.36 0.35 0.25 0.03 0.82 0.98 0.61
 C18:2 n6, linoleic acid 1.33 1.87 2.55 2.71 2.85 2.99 0.19 0.008 0.11 0.51
 C18:3n3, linolenic acid 0.52 0.59 1.02 1.32 1.79 1.99 0.18 0.01 0.28 0.73
 C20:0 0.29 0.31 0.25 0.28 0.15 0.17 0.02 0.006 0.28 0.97
 C21:0 1.52 1.25 1.09 0.98 0.22 0.17 0.16 0.001 0.28 0.75
 C22:0 0.11 0.17 0.36 0.16 0.15 0.13 0.03 0.003 0.03 0.003
 C20:4n6 0.25 0.12 0.11 0.16 0.16 0.19 0.01 0.02 0.14 0.001
 Short-chain fatty acids 14.39 13.76 14.41 15.36 14.22 13.89 0.43 0.74 0.99 0.79
 Medium-chain fatty acids 39.26 39.44 38.05 35.60 34.55 34.85 0.80 0.09 0.66 0.68
 Long-chain fatty acids 46.59 46.86 47.87 46.51 48.40 49.85 0.81 0.59 0.95 0.84
 Polyunsaturated fatty acids 2.37 2.92 4.02 4.55 5.14 5.42 0.35 0.001 0.19 0.92
 Monounsaturated fatty acids 29.68 29.76 29.93 27.82 29.81 31.66 0.54 0.47 0.96 0.43
 Saturated fatty acids 69.70 68.63 67.47 66.07 62.44 61.67 1.10 0.01 0.45 0.98
short-chain fatty acids (C4:0 to C13:0, SCFA); medium-chain fatty acids (C14:0 to C16:1, MCFA); long-chain fatty acids (> C17, LCFA); polyunsaturated fatty acids (trans-9 trans-12 C18:2, C18:2 n6, C18:3n3, C20:4n6, PUFA); monounsaturated fatty acids (C14:1, C16:1, C17:1,C18:1n9t, cis-9 C18:1, C21:0, MUFA); saturated fatty acids (C4:0, C6:0, C8:0, C10:0, C11:0, C12:0, C13:0, C14:0, C15:0, C16:0, C17:0, C18:0, C20:0, C21:0, C22:0, SFA).
RUP rumen undegradable protein; NFLR, no flaxseed, low RUP; NFHR, no flaxseed, high RUP; WFLR, whole flaxseed, low RUP; WFHR, whole flaxseed, high RU; EFLR, extruded flaxseed, low RUP; EFHR, extruded flaxseed, high RUP.