Milk fatty acids as potential biomarkers of negative energy balance in early-lactation dairy cows

ŠTOLCOVÁ, Magdaléna, BARTOŇ, Luděk and ŘEHÁK, Dalibor. Milk fatty acids as potential biomarkers of negative energy balance in early-lactation dairy cows. Mlékařské listy, 2020, vol. 31(3), p. 7-11. ISSN 1212-950X.
Year2020
CathegoryPublication in specialized journals
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Abstract

The relationship between milk fatty acids and serum non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) was evaluated in 66 Holstein and Czech Fleckvieh dairy cows in the period from parturition to 8 weeks of lactation. Dairy cows were assigned into three groups (NEB0, NEB1, NEB2) according to the occurrence and severity of the negative energy balance (NEB) determined on the basis of the NEFA concentrations in the first 14 days after parturition. A total of 490 blood and milk samples were used. Moderate correlations between milk fatty acids and serum NEFAs in all dairy cows, regardless of grouping, were observed for the sum of long chain fatty acids (LCFA; r = 0.56), the sum of monounsaturated fatty acids (r = 0.47), C16:0 (r = -0.58), C18:0 (r = 0.44) and C18:1 (r = 0.50). Furthermore, the relationship between these milk fatty acids and NEFAs in individual groups of dairy cows were determined. The correlations determined in the NEB0 and NEB1 groups were weak to moderate, while in the NEB2 group the correlations were higher (r = -0.65 and 0.63 for C16:0 and LCFA, respectively). In addition, differences between groups of cows according to NEB were calculated for all the parameters determined in milk. Significant differences between NEB0 and NEB2 were observed for the same fatty acids that correlated with NEFA. Based on these findings, it can be assumed that certain milk fatty acids could be used to predict the risks associated with the NEB.