Effect of incremental amounts of camelina oil on milk fatty acid composition in lactating cows fed diets based on a mixture of grass and red clover silage and concentrates containing camelina expeller

Abstract

Camelina is an ancient oilseed crop that produces an oil rich in cis-9,cis-12 18:2 (linoleic acid, LA) and cis-9,cis-12,cis-15 18:3 (α-linolenic acid, ALA); however, reports on the use of camelina oil (CO) for ruminants are limited. The present study investigated the effects of incremental CO supplementation on animal performance, milk fatty acid (FA) composition, and milk sensory quality. Eight Finnish Ayrshire cows (91 d in milk) were used in replicated 4 × 4 Latin squares with 21-d periods. Treatments comprised 4 concentrates (12 kg/d on an air-dry basis) based on cereals and camelina expeller containing 0 (control), 2, 4, or 6% CO on an air-dry basis. Cows were offered a mixture of grass and red clover silage (RCS; 1:1 on a dry matter basis) ad libitum. Incremental CO supplementation linearly decreased silage and total dry matter intake, and linearly increased LA, ALA, and total FA intake. Treatments had no effect on whole-tract apparent organic matter or fiber digestibility and did not have a major influence on rumen fermentation. Supplements of CO quadratically decreased daily milk and lactose yields and linearly decreased milk protein yield and milk taste panel score from 4.2 to 3.6 [on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent)], without altering milk fat yield. Inclusion of CO linearly decreased the proportions of saturated FA synthesized de novo (4:0 to 16:0), without altering milk fat 18:0, cis-9 18:1, LA, and ALA concentrations. Milk fat 18:0 was low (<5 g/100 g of FA) across all treatments. Increases in CO linearly decreased the proportions of total saturates from 58 to 45 g/100 g of FA and linearly enriched trans-11 18:1, cis-9,trans-11 18:2, and trans-11,cis-15 18:2 from 5.2, 2.6, and 1.7 to 11, 4.3, and 5.8 g/100 g of FA, respectively. Furthermore, CO quadratically decreased milk fat trans-10 18:1 and linearly decreased trans-10,cis-12 18:2 concentration. Overall, milk FA composition on all treatments suggested that one or more components in camelina seeds may inhibit the complete reduction of 18-carbon unsaturates in the rumen. In conclusion, CO decreased the secretion of saturated FA in milk and increased those of the trans-11 biohydrogenation pathway or their desaturation products. Despite increasing the intake of 18-carbon unsaturated FA, CO had no effect on the secretions of 18:0, cis-9 18:1, LA, or ALA in milk. Concentrates containing camelina expeller and 2% CO could be used for the commercial production of low-saturated milk from grass-and RCS-based diets without major adverse effects on animal performance.

Milk Fat Globule in Ruminant: Major and Minor Compounds, Nutritional Regulation and Differences Among Species

“…These alterations are in agreement with changes in milk FA composition observed in cows fed linseed . Slight increases in milk 18:3n‐3 concentrations with CO or CS were reported regardless of basal diet, suggesting an extensive RBH of 18:3n‐3 from this seed.…”

“…In contrast, CO supplementation of grass silage diets decreased milk yield and milk fat content, as well as with CS supplementation of maize silage diets . Increasing doses of CO reduced milk yield without changing milk fat content . This decreased milk yield is associated with a reduced DM intake.…”

“…Camelina supplements decreased milk SFA concentrations. Supplementation of red clover silage alone or associated with grass silage with CO resulted in higher trans ‐11 18:1, cis ‐9, trans ‐11 CLA, trans ‐13 to trans ‐16 18:1, Δ11,15 18:2, Δ12,15 18:2, cis ‐9, trans ‐13 18:2, Δ11,13 CLA, Δ12,14 CLA, and Δ13, 15 CLA, cis ‐9, trans ‐11, cis ‐15 and cis ‐9, trans ‐11, trans ‐15 of 18:3 . These alterations are in agreement with changes in milk FA composition observed in cows fed linseed .…”

Herbaceous Oil Crops, a Review on Mechanical Harvesting State of the Art

“…The current growing interest in camelina cropping is linked to several factors. Apart from the double cropping, camelina shows high seeds oil content (30-49%) [171] and multiple uses of it, i.e., biodiesel [172,173] and jet fuel production [174,175], animal feeding [176][177][178], aquaculture [179,180], raw material for agrochemical products [181], and medical and veterinary applications [182,183]. Moreover, camelina is a low input crop in comparison with most of the commodity crops cultivated for biofuel production [165], so the environmental impact is lower [184], particularly if the suitability of camelina straw for bioenergy purposes is also included [185,186].…”

Long-Term Feeding of Dairy Goats with Broccoli By-Product and Artichoke Plant Silages: Milk Yield, Quality and Composition

“…This breed is generally exploited in semiextensive systems under different climatic conditions, feeding on natural pastures or different crop stubble throughout the year, receiving supplementation in critical periods based on agricultural by-products or conventional feeds [3]. Goat's milk is a rich source of nutrients in the human diet that can influence the prevention of certain types of cancers and cardiovascular diseases due to its Se and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) contents, such as vaccenic and rumenic acids or conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) [4,5].…”