Comparison of fatty acid composition in milk fat of Czech Pied cattle andHolsteincattle

Abstract

In May 2003 differences in milk fat composition in two main dairy breeds in the Czech Republic, Czech Pied cattle and Holstein cattle, were studied in two uniform groups, each containing eight cows. The groups were housed together and received the same daily diet. Fatty acids were determined in mean milk samples from the individual cows as their methyl esters using a gas chromatography procedure. The groups of the fatty acids, namely saturated (SAFA), monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) ones, were examined together with the individual acids. The milk fat of Czech Pied cattle was found to contain significantly less SAFAs than the fat of Holstein cows (60.78 and 63.62% of total acids; P < 0.05). Determined mean MUFA contents (27.64 and 25.76%) and total levels (34.31 and 32.11%) of all the unsaturated acids (MUFAs and PUFAs) were insignificantly elevated in the milk fat of Czech Pied cattle. The contents of the most of the individual fatty acids did not differ considerably between the breeds. In Holstein cows, significantly higher contents (P < 0.05) of capric acid (C_10:0) and stearic acid (C_18:0) 3.30 and 4.45%, respectively, as compared with 2.69 and 2.61% for Czech Pied cows, were observed. The milk fat of Czech Pied cows had significantly higher contents of oleic acid (C_18:1) 23.60% (P < 0.05) and of an isomer of octadecatrienic acid (C_18:3n4) 0.16% (P < 0.001) as compared with 21.68 and 0.10%, respectively, in the fat ofHolstein cows.