Milk composition of cows fed with different sources of nitrogen compounds

Abstract

Objective was to evaluate the physic-chemical composition and the fatty acid profile of milk from cows fed with different sources of nitrogen compounds (soybean meal, urea, sunflower meal and detoxified castor bean meal). The experimental design was two 4 x 4 Latin squares, being used eight F1 Holstein / Zebu cows, with an average production of 20 kg of milk with 3.5% fat day-1. Milk samples were collected and analyzed for physico-chemical composition and fatty acid profile. With the exception of milk urea nitrogen, which was higher in the diet with urea, the other variables of the physic-chemical composition were not affected by diets with different sources of nitrogen compounds. Regarding the fatty acid profile was no change in the concentrations of acid C4: 0, C18: 0, C10: 1, C12: 1 and C18: 1 T10 T11 T12. However, for total saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in milk, there were no differences among the sources of nitrogen compounds. The use of different sources of nitrogen compounds in the diet of F1 Holstein x Zebu cows, with an average production of 20 kg of milk with 3.5% fat day-1 does not alter the physic-chemical composition of milk, with the exception of milk urea nitrogen which increases with dietary urea. However, it you can modify the profile of milk fatty acids.