Synthesis of milk fat from β-hydroxybutyrate and acetate in lactating goats

Abstract

SummaryThe relative importance of β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) and acetate as precursors for milk-fat synthesis was studied in lactating goats by infusing separately tracer quantities of [3−14C]DL-BHBA and [1−14C]acetate into the jugular vein, and [1−14C]butyrate into the portal vein. The concentrations and specific radioactivities of blood plasma constituents, the yields and specific radioactivities of individual milk fatty acids and the relative radioactivities of individual carbon atoms of milk fatty acids were determined.The infusion of [1−14C]butyrate resulted in the appearance of labelled BHBA in the blood plasma which behaved almost identically with infused [14C]BHBA as a precursor for milk fatty acids.The relative radioactivity of carbon atoms of the fatty acids of milk fat following the infusions provided direct evidence that BHBA had provided an intact 4-carbon unit at the methyl end of each fatty-acid chain. Acetate provided 2-carbon units both for the elongation of the 4-carbon units and for completede novosynthesis. BHBA also provided 2-carbon units which behaved in a similar fashion to those from acetate.Acetate and BHBA together accounted for all of the C4–C12acids of milk fat, about 75% of the C14, 45% of the C16and 10% of the C18.The total contributions of the various precursors to the fatty acids of milk fat were: acetate 42%, BHBA 9·4% and other plasma precursors (by difference) 48·6%.