Milk fatty acids. I. Variation in the concentration of individual fatty acids in bovine milk.

Data from 29 published experiments on Holstein cows, providing 120 dietary treatments, were collated to obtain means, standard deviations, and ranges for the concentrations (mg/g) of 26 major individual fatty acids in bovine milk fat. The influence of diet type (total mixed ration- vs. pasture-based diet) on concentrations of individual fatty acids was examined. Pairwise correlations for concentrations (g/kg) of individual fatty acids in milk showed that almost all of the individual de novo fatty acids were significantly correlated with each other and with the total concentration of de novo fatty acids. Concentrations of individual unsaturated preformed fatty acids were generally positively correlated with each other but were negatively correlated with concentrations of total de novo fatty acids. Substantial variation was found in the concentrations of individual milk fatty acids and, apart from those synthesized de novo, concentrations of individual fatty acids did not vary in concert. The adequacy of literature data for the development of a model to predict the production of the major individual fatty acids in milk is discussed. The limitations associated with the currently available studies that may be used in a predictive model are 1) failure of many publications to adequately describe dietary details, 2) reporting poorly defined milk fatty acids, 3) aggregating a number of closely related fatty acids under a single category, and 4) the selective reporting of only those fatty acids that are present in milk fat in appreciable quantities. Despite these limitations, the data are sufficient to enable development of a model to predict the concentrations and production of major individual fatty acids in milk fat. The extreme variability in concentrations of individual milk fatty acids and the complex matrix of positive and negative correlations among the concentrations of many individual fatty acids suggest that separate equations will be needed to predict the production of each individual milk fatty acid.