Feeding Fatty Acids for Fertility?

The essentiality of certain amino acids and certain fatty acids was established for growing rats at about the same time. W.C. Rose at the University of Illinois in the early 1930’s identified 10 essential dietary amino acids for rats. Soon thereafter, these same essential dietary amino acids were confirmed experimentally in growing nonruminant livestock. The fatty acids, linoleic acid (C18:2) and linolenic acid (C18:3), were identified in 1929 and 1930 as essential fatty acids (EFA) for growing rats fed nearly fatfree diets (Burr and Burr). However these results did not change the way livestock were fed. In 1936, Morrison stated “Whether or not farm animals need these fatty acids is still an open question. In any event, the usual rations fed stock in all probability provide sufficient amounts of any such essential nutrient substances.” In 1954, Lambert et al. reported that the preweaned baby calf required the same two essential fatty acids in their diet. Calves fed a fat-free diet developed deficiency symptoms that included retarded growth, scaly dandruff, long dry hair, excessive loss of hair, and diarrhea. These symptoms are similar to those reported for rats fed diets largely devoid of the EFA. Prolonged feeding of such diets resulted in death of the rats.