title: Fatty acid, tocopherol and carotenoid content in herbage and milk affected by sward composition and season of grazing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present work was to study to what extent grazing large amounts of white clover (WCL), red clover (RCL), lucerne (LUC) or chicory (CHI) was suitable for production of bovine milk with a high milk fat content of tocopherols, carotenoids, α-linolenic acid and conjugated linoleic acid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  WCL, RCL, LUC and CHI swards were established to investigate the influence of herbage composition on the milk quality of grazing dairy cows at three periods. Average milk fat composition showed high concentrations of linolenic acid (12 mg g⁻¹), conjugated linoleic acid (13 mg g⁻¹), carotenoids (6 µg g⁻¹) and α-tocopherol (21 µg g⁻¹ milk fat). There were minor differences between herbage types and periods, but multivariate analysis of these data showed no clear grouping. Chemical composition of herbage varied with species as well as period, but it was not possible to relate milk and feed contents of specific fatty acids, carotenoids or tocopherols.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All four herbages tested were suitable for production of milk with a high content of beneficial compounds. Thus any of these herbages could be used in production of such differentiated milk based on a large proportion of grazing in the ration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark. mette.larsen@agrsci.dk
authors.forename: Mette K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Xavier C
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Fretté
authors.forename: Troels
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: Jørgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eriksen
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Søegaard
authors.forename: Jacob H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017849:Animals, Inbred Strains; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D018651:Cichorium intybus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D003612:Dairying / Q000379:methods*; D003718:Denmark; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D063427:Food Quality; D058870:Food, Organic / Q000032:analysis*; D007774:Lactation; D044243:Linoleic Acids, Conjugated / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D000455:Medicago sativa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012621:Seasons; D024505:Tocopherols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D029921:Trifolium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D044243:Linoleic Acids, Conjugated; C503589:cis-9, trans-11-conjugated linoleic acid; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D002338:Carotenoids; D024505:Tocopherols