title: Dietary effects of lutein-fortified chlorella on milk components of Holstein cows.
abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the dietary effect of conventional or lutein-fortified chlorella on milk production and lutein incorporation in milk. Fifteen Holstein cows in mid-lactation were used in a 3 × 3 Latin square design each with a 21-day period. Cows were top-dressed daily with 30 g of conventional or lutein-fortified chlorella for 3 weeks. Cows without chlorella served as the control. The feed intake and milk yield were not affected by dietary treatments. The concentrations of milk protein and solids non-fat in groups fed diets containing both conventional and lutein-fortified chlorella were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in content of milk fat among groups. The levels of plasma glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, interferon-gamma and interleukin-2 were not influenced by the dietary treatments. Lutein content in milk was significantly increased in groups fed lutein-fortified chlorella as compared with those of conventional chlorella and control, respectively (P < 0.01). These results imply that conventional and lutein-fortified chlorella has positive effects on milk components and the use of lutein-fortified chlorella in a dairy diet is effective in the production of milk enriched with lutein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Food Research and Development of Daesang Corp, Icheon, 17384 Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029 Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Keun-Kyu
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029 Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Woo
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Food Research and Development of Daesang Corp, Icheon, 17384 Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Celltech, Co., Ltd., Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk 27622 Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-Hern
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029 Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byoung-Ki
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: An
keywords: Chlorella; Dairy cows; Lutein; Milk composition; Milk yield