Influence of diet and stage of lactation on fatty acid composition of Camosciata milk

Summary - The nutraceutical properties of polyunsaturated fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) can positively influence the role of animal products in human diet. Feed composition can modify the fatty acids (FA) content of milk together with other factors such as breed type and stage of lactation. Aim of the trial was verify the influence of diet composition and stage of iactation on fatty acid composition and CLA content of Camosciata goat milk. The herd was reared in the Aosta valley and fed a diet with different forage/concentrate ratio during lactation. Feeds and milk were analysed for chemical characteristics and fatty acid composition at early and late lactation. Results showed significant differences in myristic, palmitic and stearic acids, and an increasing trend in CLA content from early to late lactation, but total MUFA, PUFA and SFA/UFA ratio did not change during lactation. Therefore, when considering the influence of stage of lactation in milk fatty acid composition, the role of dry matter intake and diet composition should always be taken into account.