Effect of Strategic Supplementation of Dietary By-Pass Linseed Oil on Fertility and Milk Quality in Sarda Ewes

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are well known for their beneficial role in different body systems and their function in mammals. The use of PUFA-ω3 as a feed additive has been investigated with the aim of improving the reproductive and productive performance of different livestock species, but their effects on dairy sheep are scarcely documented. The present study demonstrated that in milking ewes, dietary supplementation of bypass linseed oil (LO; rich in alpha-linolenic acid/ALA) modified the lipidic metabolic status, increased milk PUFA composition, and the size of luteal tissue at the onset of maternal recognition of pregnancy (on day 11 after insemination). The present study showed that the use of a bypass LO supplementation during the periconceptional period did not increase the reproductive indexes in ewes. Nevertheless, dietary bypass LO modified the circulating concentrations of lipid metabolites and the milk fatty acid profile, demonstrating its absorption and utilization by body tissues.