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PhytoMilk-Potential improvement of the salutary effects of organic milk by forage species and by supplementation

Finished Last updated: 16.11.2017
End: jun 2011
Start: jul 2007
Status Concluded
Start - end date 01.07.2007 - 30.06.2011
Project manager Håvard Steinshamn
Total budget 2751000

Publications in the project

To document

Abstract

Phyto-oestrogens are a group of secondary plant metabolites that may bind to oestrogen receptors and exert oestrogenic or anti-oestrogenic effects in humans and can protect against cancer diseases. When ingested by dairy cows, phyto-oestrogens can be metabolised and transferred to the milk. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of grazing a recently established pasture containing red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and an older pasture containing a variety of sown and unsown plant species on milk concentrations of phyto-oestrogens. Sixteen Norwegian Red dairy cows [mean (standard deviation); body weight 599 (45.1) kg, stage of lactation 73 (15.0) d in milk, milk yield 29.9 (2.90) kg/d at the start of the experiment] were divided into two groups and grazed either a short-term pasture (SP) or a long-term pasture (LP). The SP was representative of organically managed leys in Norway, which are frequently, approximately every third year, renewed by soil tillage and seeding, whereas LP was representative of organically managed grasslands that are less frequently renewed. The SP contained meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) (mean 34%), timothy (Phleum pratense L.) (mean 19%), red clover (mean 28%), shepherd׳s-purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik.) (mean 6%), pineappleweed (Matricaria matricarioides Porter ex Britton) (mean 5%) and scentless mayweed (Tripleurospermum perforatum (Mérat) Laínz) (mean 4%), and LP contained mainly white clover (Trifolium repens L.) (mean 21%), smooth meadowgrass (Poa pratensis L.) (mean 19%), timothy (mean 17%), meadow fescue (mean 15%), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) (mean 6%), tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P. Beauv.) (mean 5%), northern dock (Rumex longifolius DC.) (mean 4%), common couch (Elytrigia repens (L.) Desv. Ex Nevski) (mean 4%), red clover (mean 3%) and dandelion (Taraxacum spp.) (mean 3%). In addition to a daily pasture allowance of 20 kg dry matter per cow, supplements of 3.0 kg barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) concentrate were fed. Herbage, concentrates and milk was sampled during the last week of three experimental periods and analysed for phyto-oestrogens using LC-MS/MS technology. Herbage from SP had 19 times higher concentration of isoflavones than herbage from LP, whereas only small differences were found for lignans. Milk produced on SP had 14 times higher concentrations of the mammalian isoflavonoid equol, and the concentrations of equol were higher than found in most other studies. This study confirms that grazing pastures containing red clover increases concentrations of isoflavones and especially equol in bovine milk compared to grazing pastures with other botanical composition. The higher milk concentrations of the lignan metabolite enterodiol in milk from SP compared to LP could not be related to differences in intake of the analysed lignans and may therefore be related to unidentified lignans.

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Abstract

Ruminal biohydrogenation and transfer of fatty acids (FA) to milk were determined for 4 silages with different botanical compositions using 4 multiparous Norwegian Red dairy cows [(mean ± SD) 118±40.9d in milk, 22.5±2.72kg of milk/d, 631±3.3kg of body weight, 3.3±0.40 points on body condition score at the start of the experiment] fitted with rumen cannulas. Treatments consisted of 4 experimental silages: a mix of the first and third cut of organically managed short-term grassland with timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.; 2 yr old; ORG-SG); organically managed long-term grassland with a high proportion of unsown species (6 yr old; ORG-LG); conventionally managed ley with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.; CON-PR); and conventionally managed ley with timothy (CON-TI). The herbages were cut, wilted, and preserved with additive in round bales and fed at 0.90 of ad libitum intake. A barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) concentrate constituted 300g/kg of dry matter of the total feed offered. A Latin square design (4×4) with 3-wk periods and the last week in each period used for sampling was implemented. Omasal flows of FA were measured using Yb acetate, Cr-EDTA, and the indigestible neutral detergent fiber fraction as indigestible markers. The composition of FA was analyzed in feed, omasal digesta, and milk. Compared with ORG-LG, ORG-SG had a higher herbage proportion of red clover (0.36 vs. 0.01) and lower proportions of timothy (0.42 vs. 0.18), smooth meadowgrass (Poa pratensis L.), meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), dandelion (Taraxacum spp.), and creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens L.). The silages were well preserved. The concentration of neutral detergent fiber was higher and the concentration of Kjeldahl-N was lower for CON-TI than for the other silages. Silage type had no effect on dry matter intake, but milk yield was lower for CON-TI than for the other silages. Apparent biohydrogenation of C18:3n-3 was lower for ORG-SG (932g/kg) than for ORG-LG (956g/kg), CON-PR (959g/kg), and CON-TI (958g/kg). Compared with the grass-based silages, ORG-SG and ORG-LG resulted in higher omasal flows of C18:1 trans FA and higher milk fat proportions of C18:1 trans FA and C18:2 cis-9,trans-11. Apparent recovery of C18:3n-3 in milk was higher for ORG-SG (61g/kg) than for ORG-LG (33g/kg), CON-PR (34g/kg), and CON-TI (38g/kg), and milk fat proportion of C18:3n-3 was higher for ORG-SG than for CON-TI. Milk fat proportions of C16:0 were lower for ORG-SG and ORG-LG compared with those for CON-PR and CON-TI. It was concluded that high proportions of red clover and other dicotyledons in the silages affected ruminal biohydrogenation and increased milk fat proportions of beneficial FA.

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Abstract

Previous research has shown that grazing pastures compared to feeding preserved forages has large impact on milk fatty acid (FA) composition, but differences between grazing red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) or white clover (Trifolium repens L.) are small, whereas the herbage proportions of dicotyledon botanical families is positively correlated with the milk-fat proportions of total polyunsaturated FA when grazing pastures in the Alps. The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of botanically different pastures on bovine milk composition and milk susceptibility to oxidation. Two groups of 8 multiparous Norwegian Red dairy cows [mean (standard deviation); 599 (45.1)kg body weight, 73 (15.0)d in milk, 29.9 (2.90)kg milk/d at experiment start] grazed either a short-term pasture (SP) or a long-term pasture (LP). Both pastures were organically managed, meaning that no artificial fertilizers or herbicides were applied. The SP was representative for pastures, which are frequently, i.e. at least every third year, renewed by soil tillage and seeding, whereas LP was representative for pastures, which are less frequently renewed. The SP contained mainly meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.), timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and red clover and LP contained smooth meadow grass (Poa pratensis L.), white clover and a variety of unsown species. Sixteen cows were blocked according to milk yield, days in milk and sire, and randomly within block allocated to the 2 dietary treatments with a daily pasture allowance of 15–20kg dry matter per cow, supplemented with 3.0kg barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) concentrate. Milk was sampled during the last week of 3 experimental periods and analysed for FA composition by gas chromatography, concentrations of fat-soluble vitamins by high performance liquid chromatography, and oxidative stability in a light-exposure experiment by measuring the formation of hydroperoxides and by front-face fluorescence spectroscopy. Pasture type had no effect on milk yield, milk gross composition, and only minor effects on milk FA composition. Milk from SP had higher concentration of α-tocopherol than LP. The formation of hydroperoxides in milk was lower for SP than LP after 24h light exposure, but no differences were found after 48h. Front-face fluorescence spectroscopy revealed slightly higher formation of components in the area of 409–480nm wavelength for SP than LP, which may be related to milk-lipid oxidation. The experimental pastures differed mainly in herbage proportions of red clover and white clover and less in proportions of non-legume dicotyledons. This explains small differences in milk FA composition and milk susceptibility to oxidation.

Abstract

Surfôr fra kortvarig eng har gitt høyere andel av flerumettede fettsyrer i melk sammenlignet med surfôr fra langvarig eng men dette har ikke ført til at melka ble mer utsatt for lysindusert oksidasjon. Tilskudd av α-tokoferol økte innholdet av α-tokoferol i melka men hadde ingen effekt på melkas oksidative stabilitet. Surfôr fra kortvarig eng ga høyere innhold av isoflavoner og lavere innhold av lignaner i melk enn surfôr fra langvarig eng.