Summer Pasture in Mountainous Area Affects Milk Fatty Acid Profile of Dual-Purpose Cows

Giovanni Niero, Tania Bobbo, Simone Callegaro, Giulio Visentin, Cristina Pornaro, Martino Cassandro, Giulio Cozzi, Massimo De Marchi and Mauro Penasa
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Giovanni Niero: Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Tania Bobbo: Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Simone Callegaro: Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Giulio Visentin: Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano dell’Emilia, Italy
Cristina Pornaro: Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Martino Cassandro: Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Giulio Cozzi: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Massimo De Marchi: Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Mauro Penasa: Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-9

Abstract: The change in feeding regime of dairy herds using summer grazing in mountainous areas has several implications on cows’ productivity and milk composition. The present study quantified the effect of summer grazing on the milk fatty acids (FA) profile of Simmental and crossbred cows in an alpine holding. A total of 616 milk samples of 71 cows were collected 3 days before the onset of the grazing season until 91 days of grazing. Individual and groups of FA were quantified through mid-infrared spectroscopy. Data were analysed using a linear mixed model including the fixed effects of breed, stage of lactation, parity, sampling period, and the random effects of cows nested within breed and the residual. The stage of lactation and the sampling period were the most significant factors associated with milk FA. The variance explained by the random cow effect ranged from 15.10% (C18:1) to 25.31% (medium-chain FA). The concentration of C14:0, C16:0, and short- and medium-chain FA decreased across the summer season. Long-chain FA and polyunsaturated FA concentrations were greater in milk obtained at pasture compared with milk obtained indoors. Given these outcomes, the present study demonstrated the positive effect of grazing on milk FA composition from a nutraceutical point of view.

Keywords: cattle; polyunsaturated fatty acid; milk quality; pasture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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