Use of Camelina sativa and By-Products in Diets for Dairy Cows: A Review

Abstract

Camelina sativa, belonging to the Brassicaceae family, has been grown since 4000 B.C. as an oilseed crop that is more drought- and cold-resistant. Increased demand for its oil, meal, and other derivatives has increased researchers’ interest in this crop. Its anti-nutritional factors can be reduced by solvent, enzyme and heat treatments, and genetic engineering. Inclusion of camelina by-products increases branched-chain volatile fatty acids, decreases neutral detergent fiber digestibility, has no effect on acid detergent fiber digestibility, and lowers acetate levels in dairy cows. Feeding camelina meal reduces ruminal methane, an environmental benefit of using camelina by-products in ruminant diets. The addition of camelina to dairy cow diets decreases ruminal cellulolytic bacteria and bio-hydrogenation. This reduced bio-hydrogenation results in an increase in desirable fatty acids and a decrease in saturated fatty acids in milk obtained from cows fed diets with camelina seeds or its by-products. Studies suggest that by-products of C. sativa can be used safely in dairy cows at appropriate inclusion levels. However, suppression in fat milk percentage and an increase in trans fatty acid isomers should be considered when increasing the inclusion rate of camelina by-products, due to health concerns.