Kinetics of ruminal lipolysis of triacylglycerol and biohydrogenation of long-chain fatty acids: New insights from old data

Previous investigations into ruminal lipolysis of triacylglycerol and ruminal biohydrogenation (BH) of unsaturated long-chain fatty acids have generally quantified these processes with either zero-order or first-order kinetics. This investigation examined if Michaelis-Menten and other nonlinear kinetics might be useful for quantifying these processes. Data from 2 previously published in vitro experiments employing rumen fluid from sheep to investigate the lipolysis of trilinolein, the BH of cis-9, cis-12 linoleic acid (LA), and the BH of fatty acids derived from the lipolysis of trilinolein were used for the development of a multi-compartmental model. The model described the lipolysis of triacylglycerol well. The model also provided a good mathematical description of the resulting production of nonesterified fatty acids, the isomerization of nonesterified LA, and subsequent production of rumenic acid (RA), vaccenic acid (VA), and stearic acid (SA). However, the model described poorly the patterns of the concentrations of LA, RA, VA, and SA after incubation of trilinolein in rumen fluid. The model is consistent with known stoichiometry and biochemistry and is parsimonious in that it employs a minimal number of parameters to describe all of the major aspects of lipolysis and BH. The first step in the lipolysis of trilinolein was described by Michaelis-Menten kinetics (Vmax = 529 +/- 16 mg/L per h; Km = 698 +/- 41 mg/L). Both subsequent lipolysis steps were approximated by a first-order (linear kinetics) rate constant (k = 2.64 +/- 0.041/h). Isomerization of LA to RA was modeled by simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics (Vmax = 2,421 +/- 83 mg/L per h; Km = 440 +/- 22 mg/ L). The kinetics of the BH of RA to VA was described by a Michaelis-Menten-type process involving competitive inhibition by VA (Vmax = 492 +/- 6.5 mg/ L per h; Km = 1 mg/L). The final step, the BH of VA to SA, was modeled by a quasi-first-order process (k = 0.533 +/- 0.021/h), but as the concentration of VA increased, its BH appeared to be self-inhibited such that when the concentration of VA acid exceeded 517 +/- 10.4 mg/L, BH was completely inhibited. The major new insights and benefits afforded by this model are 1) lipolysis and BH are described by nonlinear kinetics; 2) high concentrations of VA appear to inhibit its own BH; and 3) BH of RA appears to proceed at a much greater rate when triglyceride is present in the incubation medium. This model provides a conceptual framework for researching ruminal lipolysis and BH.