Unsaturated fatty acid concentrations in colostrum of Charolais cows in the first week post partum

Abstract

The aim of this study was to measure concentrations of some unsaturated fatty acids in the colostrum of Charolais cows in the first week after calving. Milk samples were taken in the same herd in two experiments (I: 2002, n=15 cows, II: 2003, n=22 cows), by hand-milking, immediately after calving, and also 24, 48, 72 hours and 1 week after parturition. Measurements of fatty acid contents were carried out by capillar-colonnal GC-system, after methylester esterification. Data were processed by SPSS.10 program package. Rate of unsaturated fatty acids, except for oleic (C18:1) and heptadecenoic (C17:1) acids, varied with days post partum Unsaturated fatty acids, with the exception of myristoleic (C14:1), elaidic (C18:1n9t), and eicosadienoic (C20:2) acids, changed their rate significantly only in the first 48 hours. Concentration of miristoleic, palmitoleic, linolic, eicosatrienoic, arachidonic, and eicosapentaenoic acids decreased after calving, while that of elaidic and eicosadienoic acids increased. Concerning of linolenic acid, regarding the results of the two experiments, no consistent tendencies could be determined.