Fatty acid composition of milk from Holstein-Friesian, Brown Swiss, Simmental and Alpine Grey cows predicted by mid-infrared spectroscopy

Figures & data

Table 1. Fitting statistics of mid-infrared prediction models for groups and individual fatty acids of bovine milk (FOSS, personal communication).

Trait, g/100 g total FA	N	Range	SD	R^2v^a
Groups of FA
SFA	1690	45.92–86.39	5.04	0.80
MUFA	1671	13.66–48.50	4.01	0.81
PUFA	1664	1.90–8.60	1.11	0.72
SCFA	332	7.97–23.77	3.94	0.98
MCFA	336	13.66–48.50	4.01	0.79
LCFA	452	20.10–63.21	6.71	0.80
Individual FA
C14:0	480	4.23–16.80	1.80	0.69
C16:0	830	18.83–48.06	4.14	0.55
C18:0	840	3.89–21.10	2.19	0.67
C18:1	843	12.09–40.89	4.33	0.81

SFA: saturated fatty acids; MUFA: monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA: polyunsaturated fatty acids; SCFA: short-chain fatty acids; MCFA: medium-chain fatty acids; LCFA: long-chain fatty acids.

^a R²_v, coefficient of determination of validation.

Table 2. Descriptive statistics of milk yield, composition, urea, somatic cell score (SCS) and fatty acid (FA) profile.

Trait	N	Mean	SD	Minimum	Maximum
Milk yield, kg/d	153,801	22.37	7.64	1.90	71.00
Milk composition, %
Fat	153,801	4.07	0.68	1.89	7.31
Protein	153,801	3.54	0.42	2.06	5.45
Casein	153,801	2.77	0.31	1.65	4.00
Lactose	153,801	4.77	0.20	3.80	5.58
Urea, mg/100 mL	153,657	21.06	7.39	0.10	65.60
SCS, units	153,801	2.44	1.86	−3.64	6.32
Groups of FA, g/100 g total FA
SFA	153,801	69.90	3.71	50.24	84.85
UFA	153,801	30.10	4.18	7.30	53.48
MUFA	153,800	26.65	3.70	4.13	49.56
PUFA	153,792	3.32	0.59	0.06	11.53
SCFA	153,792	10.79	1.21	0.15	16.07
MCFA	153,787	43.86	7.30	0.48	98.67
LCFA	153,799	31.40	4.94	2.21	58.92
Individual FA, g/100 g total FA
C14:0	153,801	11.97	1.36	2.75	37.00
C16:0	153,801	31.85	3.20	15.71	65.37
C18:0	153,796	10.03	1.74	0.43	20.42
C18:1	153,799	21.59	3.71	4.43	46.20

SFA: saturated fatty acids; UFA: unsaturated fatty acids; MUFA: monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA: polyunsaturated fatty acids; SCFA: short-chain fatty acids; MCFA: medium-chain fatty acids; LCFA: long-chain fatty acids.

Table 3. Least squares means of milk yield, composition, urea, somatic cell score (SCS) and fatty acid (FA) profile of cows of different breeds.

Trait	Holstein-Friesian	Brown Swiss	Simmental	Alpine Grey
Milk yield, kg/d	26.10^a	20.83^b	20.77^b	14.78^b
Milk composition, %
Fat	4.07^c	4.28^a	4.15^b	3.95^d
Protein	3.40^c	3.70^a	3.59^b	3.56^b
Casein	2.66^c	2.89^a	2.81^b	2.78^b
Lactose	4.72^b	4.72^b	4.71^b	4.77^a
Urea, mg/100 mL	19.09^b	21.03^a	19.81^b	20.95^a
SCS, units	2.57^b	2.76^a	2.49^b	2.59^b
Groups of FA, g/100 g total FA
SFA	69.68^b	70.18^a	69.84^b	68.67^c
UFA	30.08^b	29.66^c	30.02^b	31.34^a
MUFA	25.72^ab	24.59^c	25.58^b	26.12^a
PUFA	2.92^bc	2.95^b	2.88^c	3.19^a
SCFA	10.04^d	11.07^a	10.36^c	10.56^b
MCFA	42.03^c	44.72^b	46.19^a	41.57^c
LCFA	32.15^ab	30.53^c	31.92^b	32.35^a
Individual FA, g/100 g total FA
C14:0	11.90^b	12.10^a	11.77^b	11.84^b
C16:0	32.23^ab	31.93^b	32.26^a	31.46^c
C18:0	9.58^c	9.79^b	10.16^a	10.16^a
C18:1	22.89^a	20.94^c	22.02^b	22.16^b

Least squares means with different superscript letters within the same row are significantly different (p < .05).

SFA: saturated fatty acids; UFA: unsaturated fatty acids; MUFA: monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA: polyunsaturated fatty acids; SCFA: short-chain fatty acids; MCFA: medium-chain fatty acids; LCFA: long-chain fatty acids.

Table 4. Least squares means of milk fatty acid (FA) composition of Holstein-Friesian and Brown Swiss cattle breeds at different parities.

	Holstein-Friesian					Brown Swiss
Trait, g/100 g total FA	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth and later	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth and later
Groups of FA
SFA	68.64^b	69.79^a	69.94^a	69.94^a	70.08^a	69.24^c	70.16^b	70.42^a	70.47^a	70.63^a
UFA	30.90^a	29.81^b	29.86^b	29.95^b	29.86^b	30.31^a	29.54^b	29.49^b	29.54^b	29.41^b
MUFA	27.18^a	25.56^b	25.38^b	25.32^b	25.18^b	25.83^a	24.50^b	24.30^c	24.27^c	24.05^d
PUFA	3.15^a	2.91^b	2.85^c	2.87^bc	2.85^c	3.16^a	2.94^b	2.90^c	2.89^c	2.87^c
SCFA	10.27^a	10.12^b	9.99^c	9.92^c	9.90^c	11.29^a	11.12^b	11.06^c	10.98^d	10.88^e
MCFA	41.71^b	42.30^a	42.31^ab	41.91^ab	41.92^ab	44.43^b	44.94^a	44.66^ab	44.76^ab	44.81^ab
LCFA	33.42^a	31.85^b	31.87^b	31.88^b	31.73^b	31.74^a	30.44^b	30.28^b	30.24^bc	29.98^c
Individual FA
C14:0	11.49^b	11.96^a	11.97^a	12.00^a	12.02^a	11.71^d	12.10^c	12.19^b	12.21^b	12.30^a
C16:0	31.55^b	32.34^a	32.34^a	32.42^a	32.49^a	31.42^b	31.98^a	32.05^a	32.06^a	32.16^a
C18:0	9.67^a	9.45^b	9.56^ab	9.63^a	9.62^ab	9.97^a	9.75^b	9.78^b	9.75^b	9.69^b
C18:1	24.00^a	22.66^b	22.62^b	22.61^b	22.57^b	21.96^a	20.78^b	20.67^b	20.71^b	20.57^b

Least squares means with different superscript letters within the same FA trait and breed are significantly different (p < .05).

SFA: saturated fatty acids; UFA: unsaturated fatty acids; MUFA: monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA: polyunsaturated fatty acids; SCFA: short-chain fatty acids; MCFA: medium-chain fatty acids; LCFA: long-chain fatty acids.

Table 5. Least squares means of milk fatty acid (FA) composition of Simmental and Alpine Grey cattle breeds at different parities.

	Simmental					Alpine Grey
Trait, g/100 g total FA	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth and later	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth and later
Groups of FA
SFA	68.99^b	69.93^a	70.05^a	70.09^a	70.14^a	67.53^c	68.78^b	68.95^ab	68.99^ab	69.08^a
UFA	30.65^a	29.85^b	29.85^b	29.89^b	29.87^b	32.26^a	31.11^b	31.10^b	31.12^b	31.09^b
MUFA	26.99^a	25.55^b	25.25^c	25.14^cd	24.96^d	27.72^a	26.04^b	25.75^c	25.61^cd	25.47^d
PUFA	3.07^a	2.86^b	2.83^c	2.82^bc	2.82^bc	3.41^a	3.18^b	3.12^c	3.12^c	3.11^c
SCFA	10.55^a	10.45^b	10.34^c	10.28^cd	10.21^d	10.79^a	10.68^b	10.53^c	10.42^d	10.36^d
MCFA	45.74^b	46.20^a	46.16^ab	46.33^a	46.54^a	40.79^c	41.52^b	41.59^ab	41.76^ab	42.16^a
LCFA	33.26^a	31.77^b	31.63^bc	31.57^bc	31.38^c	34.04^a	32.17^b	32.05^b	31.88^bc	31.62^c
Individual FA
C14:0	11.36^c	11.79^b	11.88^a	11.89^a	11.95^a	11.36^c	11.87^b	11.94^ab	12.01^a	12.02^a
C16:0	31.89^b	32.40^a	32.34^a	32.35^a	32.32^a	30.79^b	31.56^a	31.66^a	31.64^a	31.67^a
C18:0	10.30^a	10.03^b	10.14^c	10.18^c	10.17^c	10.43^a	10.10^b	10.14^b	10.10^b	10.05^b
C18:1	23.31^a	21.93^b	21.71^c	21.65^c	21.51^c	23.57^a	22.03^b	21.85^bc	21.71^c	21.66^c

Least squares means with different superscript letters within the same FA trait and breed are significantly different (p < .05).

SFA: saturated fatty acids; UFA: unsaturated fatty acids; MUFA: monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA: polyunsaturated fatty acids; SCFA: short-chain fatty acids; MCFA: medium-chain fatty acids; LCFA: long-chain fatty acids.

Table 6. Least squares means of milk fatty acid (FA) composition at different stages of lactation^a.

Trait, g/100 g total FA	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
Groups of FA
SFA	65.88	68.67	70.41	70.93	70.89	70.75	70.55	70.25	69.82	69.38	69.21	69.20	69.21	69.14
UFA	34.85	31.59	29.31	28.52	28.48	28.60	28.87	29.36	29.97	30.55	30.79	30.86	30.96	31.12
MUFA	28.83	26.42	24.75	24.13	24.15	24.27	24.49	24.86	25.31	25.73	25.89	25.97	26.06	26.17
PUFA	3.23	3.12	2.96	2.89	2.88	2.87	2.87	2.91	2.97	3.02	3.03	3.03	3.01	3.02
SCFA	10.80	10.41	10.44	10.50	10.55	10.54	10.52	10.53	10.50	10.45	10.43	10.47	10.49	10.50
MCFA	40.37	39.35	41.39	42.89	43.78	44.56	45.14	44.82	44.37	44.14	44.35	44.77	45.22	45.62
LCFA	39.17	34.53	31.45	30.21	29.97	29.99	30.19	30.49	30.89	31.32	31.45	31.48	31.56	31.66
Individual FA
C14:0	10.16	11.58	12.28	12.50	12.47	12.40	12.27	12.18	12.02	11.86	11.79	11.76	11.70	11.66
C16:0	27.87	30.42	32.14	32.80	32.87	32.88	32.79	32.61	32.40	32.22	32.17	32.14	32.22	32.09
C18:0	13.25	11.37	10.26	9.71	9.45	9.35	9.33	9.35	9.39	9.48	9.51	9.51	9.49	9.51
C18:1	25.92	23.52	21.55	20.77	20.68	20.76	20.97	21.28	21.66	22.05	22.15	22.17	22.24	22.30

SFA: saturated fatty acids; UFA: unsaturated fatty acids; MUFA: monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA: polyunsaturated fatty acids; SCFA: short-chain fatty acids; MCFA: medium-chain fatty acids; LCFA: long-chain fatty acids.

^a Stages of lactation were: 1 = 6–30 d, 2 = 31–60 d, 3 = 61–90 d, 4 = 91–120 d, 5 = 121–150 d, 6 = 151–180 d, 7 = 181–210 d, 8 = 211–240 d, 9 = 241–270 d, 10 = 271–300 d, 11 = 301–330 d, 12 = 331–360 d, 13 = 361–390 d, and 14 = 391–450 d.

Figure 1. Least squares means of (a) saturated fatty acids (SFA) and (b) unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) across month of sampling.

Figure 2. Least squares means of (a) short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), (b) medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) and (c) long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) across month of sampling.

Figure 3. Least squares means of (a) C16:0, (b) C18:0 and (c) C18:1 fatty acids across month of sampling.