Mode of formation of milk fatty acids from acetate in the goat

A vegetable fat-based diet delays psychomotor and cognitive development compared with maternal dairy fat intake in infant gray mouse lemurs

Dairy fat has a unique lipid profile; it is rich in short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids that induce ketone production and has a balanced ω6/ω3 ratio that promotes cognitive development in early life. Moreover, the high consumption of vegetable oils in pregnant and lactating women raises concerns regarding the quality of lipids provided to offspring. Here, we investigate maternal dairy fat intake during gestation and lactation in a highly valuable primate model for infant nutritional studies, the gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus). Two experimental diets are provided to gestant mouse lemurs: a dairy fat-based (DF) or vegetable fat-based diet (VF). The psychomotor performance of neonates is tested during their first 30 days. Across all tasks, we observe more successful neonates born to mothers fed a DF diet. A greater rate of falls is observed in 8-day-old VF neonates, which is associated with delayed psychomotor development. Our findings suggest the potential benefits of lipids originating from a lactovegetarian diet compared with those originating from a vegan diet for the psychomotor development of neonates.

Biochemical Properties of Black and Green Teas and Their Insoluble Residues as Natural Dietary Additives to Optimize In Vitro Rumen Degradability and Fermentation but Reduce Methane in Sheep

Black (BTL) or green (GTL) tea and their spent tea (STL) leaves can be used as natural dietary additives for ruminants. Experiment 1 used a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with four replicates (n = 4) to test the effects of three different inclusions of tea leaves at 0 (control), 50, and 100 g/kg DM of two different tea types (BTL and GTL) in two different total mixed diets containing either ryegrass hay (RH) or rice straw (RS) on in vitro rumen organic matter degradability (IVOMD), volatile fatty acids (VFA), pH, ammonia (NH3), and methane (CH4) outputs over a 24 h incubation time. Experiment 2 followed a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with eight replicates (n = 8) to study the impacts of three different STL inclusions at 0, 100, and 200 g/kg DM of two different STL types (black and green) into two different total mixed diets containing either RH or RS on the same in vitro measurements. Both types of tea leaves decreased NH3 (p < 0.001) and CH4 (p < 0.01) without affecting (p > 0.05) rumen degradability, but the effect of their STL was less remarkable. Tea leaves and their STL inclusions improved (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively) the acetate to propionate (A:P) ratio. Compared with BTL, GTL containing diets had higher IVOMD (p < 0.05) and A:P ratio (p < 0.05) but lower NH3 (p < 0.001). Reduced rumen NH3 and CH4 outputs can be useful for protein and energy use efficiency while an increased A:P ratio might lead to increased milk fat synthesis and reduced low-fat milk syndrome. The surplus or wasted tea leaf products could be used as sustainable sources of nutrients to optimize rumen function and minimize environmental impacts of feeding ruminant animals.

Studies on the properties of New Zealand butterfat: VIII. The fatty acid composition of the milk fat of cows grazing on ryegrass at two stages of maturity and the composition of the ryegrass lipids

The lipid content of short rotation ryegrass at two stages of growth was followed at weekly intervals for several months in two spring-early summer seasons. Short succulent ryegrass consisting entirely of leaf tissue contained more lipid (mean, 8·1% of the dry weight) than mature ryegrass which contained appreciable stalk (mean, 5·1% of the dry weight). The lipid from the new growth contained fatty acids with appreciably higher proportions of linolenic acid, which was balanced mainly by lower proportions of linoleic and palmitic acids.

When monozygotic twin milking cows were grazed on the short rotation ryegrass grown to two stages of maturity, it was found that the fatty acid composition of the milk fat from the two groups was different. The milk fat of cows grazed on the new growth contained higher proportions of oleic acid and other C18acids, whilst the proportions of myristic and palmitic acids were lower. The total proportions of the short-chain fatty acids were not greatly different, although in the group on new growth butyric acid was present in higher proportions and hexanoic and octanoic acids in lower proportions. The higher unsaturation of the fatty acids in the milk fat of this group of cows may be related to the higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids in the young ryegrass diet and to the extent to which these unsaturated fatty acids are hydrogenated in the rumen.

592. Studies of the secretion of milk of low fat content by cows on diets low in hay and high in concentrates: VI. The effect on the physical and biochemical processes of the reticulo-rumen

1. Two Shorthorn cows with rumen fistulas were used to investigate the effect of diets high in concentrates and low in hay on the physical and biochemical processes of the reticulo-rumen.

2. During the initial control period of the investigation the cows received daily 16 lb. hay and 20 lb. concentrates (flaked maize 50%, weatings 35%, decorticated ground-nut cake 15%) and during the final control period 18 lb. hay and 10 lb. concentrates. There were three intervening experimental periods, in each of which the cows received 2 lb. hay daily. In the first experimental period they received, in addition to the hay, 24 lb. concentrates; in the second, 20 lb. concentrates and 5 lb. of dried delignified straw pulp in a finely macerated form; and in the third, 20 lb. concentrates. The experiment lasted 27 weeks.

3. In the experimental periods the mean milk-fat percentage remained below 2·0 for 10 weeks, whereas the mean value for the control periods was about 3·5. Addition of the straw pulp to the diet low in hay brought about no recovery in milk-fat percentage. It is calculated that in the two cows the losses in the yield of fat were 62·2 and 51·2% in the first experimental period and 62·5 and 58·7% in the second. In the experimental periods there were increases in the milk solids-not-fat percentage amounting in the two cows to upwards of 0·75 and 0·40 respectively. The composition of the butterfat was influenced by the diets low in hay, the main changes being a marked fall in the Reichert value, and a rise in the iodine value.

4. Digestibility trials showed that in the initial control period and the first and second experimental periods the mean daily intake of digestible crudefibrewas 2·6,0·6 and 3·0 lb. respectively. A tentative estimate of the extent of digestion in the reticulo-rumen, based on the lignin-ratio method, showed that a marked depression in values for the digestibility of the cellulosic constituents of the diet given during the first experimental period took place in the reticulo-rumen. In all experimental periods, even the first, the digestion of starch in the reticulo-rumen was virtually complete, only traces passing undigested to the remainder of the gut. In these three periods the mean daily intake of ether extract remained at 0·4·0·5 lb.

Formation of methyl ketones as artifacts during steam distillation of Cheddar cheese and butter-oil

A complete range of methyl ketones with odd numbers of carbon atoms from C3 to C15 was isolated by steam distillation at atmospheric pressure from fresh butter-oil, cream and Cheddar cheeses of various ages. Evidence was produced to show that the greater part of these methyl ketones was formed during the heat treatment of milk fat. The maximum quantities of methyl ketones obtainable from butter-oil, determined by exhaustive steam distillation at atmospheric pressure, averaged from 14 ppm. for undecan-2-one to 46 ppm. for pentadecan-2-one. Some artifact formation of methyl ketones also occurred, although to much less extent, when dairy products containing milk fat were steam distilled under reduced pressure at 40 °C. Possible mechanisms of formation of the methyl ketones are discussed.

Since it proved possible to extract methyl ketones in low concentration from mature cheese at room temperature, it is evident that milk fat may contain precursors which break down to methyl ketones slowly during cheese ripening, this breakdown being accelerated at higher temperatures. Methyl ketones may therefore play a part in Cheddar flavour, but a previous report from this Institute that the time of first appearance of certain methyl ketones of odd numbers of carbon atoms above C5 in steam distillates, at atmospheric pressure from Cheddar cheese, coincided with the appearance of the typical Cheddar flavour was not confirmed.

Studies of the secretion of milk of low fat content by cows on diets low in hay and high in concentrates: VII. The effect of administration of volatile fatty acids to cows giving normal milk and milk of low fat content

1. The administration of 0·5–1·5 kg. sodium acetate to cows in which the milk fat percentage had been reduced by diets low in hay and high in concentrates usually brought about an appreciable improvement in fat percentage. The extent of the response varied from slight to complete. The Reichert value of the milk fat fell with diets low in hay, but was raised by administration of acetate.

2. The daily administration of 500 g. sodium acetate to cows receiving diets containing normal levels of hay and concentrates according to their milk yields did not affect the milk fat content.

3. The daily administration of 414 g. sodium propionate did not restore fat percentages lowered by the diets low in hay. Butyrate appeared, in a test with one cow, to possess the restorative properties of acetate.

4. With diets containing either 50 lb. silage as the sole roughage or 60 lb. fodder beet and only 6 lb. hay, fat percentages were the same as with a normal diet containing 16 lb. hay.

Incorporation of [1-14C] and [3-14C] butyrate into milk constituents by the perfused cow's udder

One half-udder from a lactating cow was perfused for 110 min with blood containing 1 mc of [1-14C]butyrate. Inactive sodium butyrate was added at the eightieth minute. The volume of milk collected was 320 ml. One half-udder from another cow was perfused for 120 min in the presence of 0·5 mc [3-14C]butyrate, inactive sodium acetate being added at the sixtieth minute. The volume of milk collected was 150 ml.

The total amount of 14CO2 recovered was 5·7% of the [1-14C]butyrate given and 7·6% of the [3-14C]butyrate given. In both instances casein, followed by the volatile fatty acids, showed the highest specific activity of the constituents isolated from the milk. The glyceride fatty acids in the udder were fifty times as active as those in the milk. With [3-14C]butyrate the activity of the total fatty acids amounted to 24% and that of total lactose to 0·38% of the added 14C. Butyrate did not appear to be used for glycogenesis in the perfused gland. The specific activity of the lower fatty acids of both the udder and the milk increased stepwise with increasing chain length to reach a maximum at C10. A satisfactory explanation for this peculiar 14C distribution cannot be given at the present time. There was no evidence of direct esterification of butyrate. Most of the activity of casein was due to labelled glutamic and aspartic acids, the activity of the former being four times as high as that of the latter. The acids of the Krebs cycle isolated from the udder tissue when [3-14C]butyrate was given showed very high activity. No striking differences were observed between the results of the two experiments. It is concluded that butyrate is split into two C2 components which behave identically. These are utilized for fatty acid synthesis and take part in the Krebs cycle. The relative 14C distribution between the components isolated from milk and those from tissue may be a reflexion of the secretory processes in the udder cells, synthesized fat tending to be secreted in the alveoli after the other constituents.

Perspectives on ruminant nutrition and metabolism. II. Metabolism in ruminant tissues

The discovery of the dominance of short-chain fatty acids as energy sources in the 1940s and 1950s, as discussed in part I of this review (Annison & Bryden, 1998) led to uncertainties concerning the interrelationships of glucose and acetate in ruminant metabolism. These were resolved in the following decade largely by use of14C-labelled substrates. Although only small amounts of glucose are absorbed in most dietary situations, glucose availability to ruminant tissues as measured by isotope dilution was shown to be substantial, indicating that gluconeogenesis is a major metabolic activity in both fed and fasted states. Studies with14C-labelled glucose and acetate revealed that in contrast to non-ruminants, acetate and not glucose is the major precursor of long-chain fatty acids in ruminant tissues. Interest in the measurement of energy metabolism in livestock grew rapidly from the 1950s. Most laboratories adopted indirect calorimetry and precise measurements of the energy expenditure of ruminants contributed to the development of new feeding systems. More recently, alternative approaches to the measurement of energy expenditure have included the use of NMR spectroscopy, isotope dilution and the application of the Fick principle to measure O2consumption in the whole animal and in defined tissues. The refinement of the classical arterio-venous difference procedure in the study of mammary gland metabolism in the 1960s, particularly when combined with isotope dilution, encouraged the use of these methods to generate quantitative data on the metabolism of a range of defined tissues. The recent introduction of new methods for the continuous monitoring of both blood flow and blood O2content has greatly increased the precision and scope of arterio-venous difference measurements. The impact of data produced by these and other quantitative procedures on current knowledge of the metabolism of glucose, short-chain fatty acids and lipids, and on N metabolism, is outlined. The role of the portal-drained viscera and liver in N metabolism is discussed in relation to data obtained by the use of multi-catheterized animals. Protein turnover, and the impact of stress (physical, social and disease related) on protein metabolism have been reviewed. The growth of knowledge of mammary gland metabolism and milk synthesis since the first quantitative studies in the 1960s has been charted. Recent findings on the regulation of amino acid uptake and utilization by the mammary gland, and on the control of milk secretion, are of particular interest and importance.