Chemical and fatty acid composition of milk from crossbred cows subjected to feed restriction

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the chemical composition and fatty acid profile of milk from F1 Holstein/Zebu cows in different lactation periods, when receiving different levels of dietary supply in percentage of body weight. Sixty cows were evaluated, with five levels of dietary supply and three lactation periods. The levels of dietary supply had no effect on the production of milk corrected to 3.5% fat (12.25 kg per day). There was also no effect of dietary supply levels, in the different lactation periods, on contents of fat (3.34%), protein (3.41%), lactose (4.60%), total solids (12.0%), defatted dry extract (8.80%), and urinary nitrogen (14.5 mg dL-1), nor on somatic cell count (89.98 mL-1). As the dietary supply level was reduced, the sum of saturated fatty acids in milk was decreased in up to 9.15% and that of monounsaturated fatty acids was increased in up to 25.28%. Feed restriction does not alter the chemical composition of milk, but improves its quality of fat by reducing saturated fatty acid content, increasing the concentration of monounsaturated and desirable fatty acids in up to 54%, and increasing the hypo- and hypercholesterolemic fatty acid ratio in up to 168.97%.