Comparison of Milk Odd- and Branched-Chain Fatty Acids among Human, Dairy Species and Artificial Substitutes

Abstract

The aim of the study was to compare odd and branched-chain fatty acids (OBCFA) of milk from sheep, goat, cow, buffalo, donkey, human, and formula milk. Ruminant, monogastric, and human milks have different concentrations of these fatty acids (FA). To highlight the differences on OBCFA, a total of 282 individual milk samples were analyzed by gas chromatography. The OBCFA were found higher in ruminant than non-ruminant milks (p <0.05). Among ruminants, sheep milk had the highest OBCFA (4.5 g/100 g of total FAME), whereases the lowest values were found in formula milk (0.18 g/100 g of total FAME). Regarding individual linear odd-chain FA (linear-OCFA), C11:0 was found higher in donkey milk than others, while sheep and buffalo milks had the greatest concentration of C15:0. Among BCFA, the iso-BCFA were higher than anteiso-BCFA in all considered milks. The isoC17:0 showed the highest concentration in all milks except for donkey and buffalo, which showed higher concentration of isoC16:0 than others. In conclusion, ruminant milks are different in terms of these FA compared to human milk and its substitutes. However, the greatest differences were found with formula milk, suggesting that this product needs the implementation of these FA to be more similar to human milk composition.

Milk Odd- and Branched-Chain Fatty Acids as Biomarkers of Rumen Fermentation

“…Milk fat is one of the most complex natural sources of fatty acids (FA), from C2 to C28, including even- and odd-numbered, saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated cis and trans, linear and branched, and various keto- and hydroxy-FAs [ 5 ]. FAs are derived from body storage, dietary fatty acids, and the de novo synthesis of C4~C14 and partially C16 fatty acids, as well as the microbial metabolism in the rumen [ 9 , 13 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. However, linear odd-chain FAs (C15:0 and C17:0) might be partially synthesized de novo in the mammary gland and animal tissues from propionate [ 6 ].…”

“…The fat composition of milk is crucial in terms of the quality and physical properties of dairy products [ 5 , 16 , 18 ], but also for animal health [ 16 ], as imbalances of certain nutrients can lead to changes in microbial populations and, consequently, these FAs [ 19 ]. Notably, the presence of odd- and branched-chain fatty acids occurs in milk due to microbial production and subsequent absorption by the mammary gland [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

“…In general, the higher levels of OBCFAs in ruminants compared to non-ruminants are mainly due to the presence of rumen bacteria that synthesize these fatty acids, which are then incorporated into their cell membranes [ 19 ]. Among ruminants ( Table 1 ), the content of OBCFAs varies from 3.33% (in goat’s milk) to 5.02% (in buffalo’s milk).…”

Nutrición animal: Texto de formación universitaria

“…Entre los rumiantes, la leche de oveja presenta el contenido más alto de ácidosgrasos de cadena impar y ramificada (4,5 g/100 g del total de los ácidos grasos); el ácido iso-C17:0 está en mayor proporción en todas las especies, excepto la burra que tiene el más alto contenido de ácido undecílico (C11:0), siendo por tanto, las leches de rumiantes ricas en ácidos grasos de cadena impar y cadena ramificada (Carta et al, 2022). Los ácidos grasos de cadena ramificada son ácidos grasos saturados con una o más ramas metilo en la cadena de carbono, pudiendo ser mono, di-o multimetilo, siendo estos componentes de alimentos bioactivos que constituyen aproximadamente el 2% de los ácidos grasos en la grasa de la leche de vaca (Ran-Ressler et al, 2014).…”

Branched-Long-Chain Monomethyl Fatty Acids: Are They Hidden Gems?

“…Human breast milk is the predominant source of BLCFA for infants . The level of BLCFA in human breast milk is about 0.36–0.76% of total FA. ,, By contrast, the mean concentration of DHA level in breast milk is 0.32% of total FA . The composition of BLCFA is affected by pregnancy duration and lactation.…”