Fish oil-derived eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids enhances synthesis of pro-resolving oxylipins and improves growth performance and insulin sensitivity in feedlot cattle

To investigate the impact of encapsulated fish oil (EFO) supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics, blood immunometabolic biomarkers, and adipose tissue inflammation in feedlot cattle, Angus × SimAngus crossbreed steers (n = 60; body weight [BW] = 320 ± 29 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design. Steers were blocked by BW and origin and randomly selected to receive 1 of 2 dietary treatments consisting of a finishing diet with 0.5% (DM basis) of either EFO or tallow (TLW) as supplemental lipid sources. To assess adipose tissue inflammation and plasma oxylipins, a subset of 6 steers per treatment were randomly selected for collection of adipose tissue (d -5, d 100, and postmortem) and blood samples (d -5, 56, 112, and 168). The luminescence intensity of the CD172a was used as a proxy of adipose tissue inflammation. For plasma metabolites analysis, blood samples were collected from all steers on d 56, 112, and 168. Mixed models (SAS PROC GLIMMIX and MIXED procedures) were used for statistical analyses. A treatment × d interaction was detected for BW (P = 0.03), where the EFO-supplemented steers were heavier throughout the experimental period and at study conclusion than the TLW-supplemented cohort. Steers supplemented with EFO exhibited a greater average daily gain compared to the TLW-supplemented group (P = 0.04). For the carcass characteristics, EFO-supplemented steers tended to have a heavier hot carcass weight and a greater Longissimus muscle area (P = 0.09) than the TLW-supplemented group. A tendency for a treatment × d interaction was observed for plasma insulin and the RQUICKI (P = 0.06). In d 168, steers fed diets with EFO had lower concentrations of plasma insulin and a greater RQUICKI. The plasma oxylipins analysis revealed treatment × d interactions (P ≤ 0.05), wherein EFO supplementation induced a sustained upregulation of omega-3-derived anti-inflammatory/pro-resolving oxylipins throughout the experiment, whereas omega-6-derived pro-inflammatory oxylipins exhibited a transient downregulation, evident on d 56. No treatment × d interaction nor treatment effects were observed on the CD172a intensity in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue (P ≥ 0.23). These findings demonstrated that supplementing feedlot steers with EFO modulated the plasma oxylipin profile toward a pro-resolving state, and improved growth performance, carcass characteristics, and energy metabolism.