Coconut oil as a protective carrier of dietary vitamin A fed to ruminants.

Safflower and coconut oil were compared as protective carriers of dietary vitamin A supplemented to abomasally cannulated sheep. Vitamin A, 240,000 I.U., was predissolved in 11.7 g of safflower or coconut oil and bolused directly into the rumen of mature wethers along with 4 g of chromic oxide. The vitamin A was pre-dissolved in 0, 11.7, 23.4 or 35.0 g of coconut oil in experiment 2. Determination of carrier oil protectiveness of solubilized dietary vitamin A was based on recoveries of vitamin A supplement and chromic oxide in abomasal digesta 24 h post dosage. Vitamin A recoveries were significantly higher (P < 0.05) when dissolved in coconut oil (55.6%) compared to safflower oil (35.5%). Recoveries of vitamin A in abomasal digesta increased linearly (P < 0.01) with the amount of carrier coconut oil in experiment 2. Results of these experiments support the potential use of coconut oil as a protective carrier of ruminal labile vitamin A.