Influence of mustard cake/oil feeding on conjugated linoleic acid content in buffalo milk

A lactation trial was conducted to study the mustard oil based concentrate feeding on conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content in buffalo milk. Lactating Murrah buffaloes (15; 60 days in milk of 605 kg BW in 2–4 lactation) randomly divided into three equal groups were fed concentrate mixture containing either groundnut cake (G1), mustard cake (G2) or mustard cake and oil (G3) along with maize fodder and wheat straw for 90 days. The linoleic (C18:2) and linolenic (C18:3) acid content in GNC and mustard oil's were 25.67 and 0.96%, 40.12 and 9.31% respectively. The EE digestibility was higher (P<0.05) in G3 than the G1 and G2, where as the NDF digestibility was lower in G3. Milk yield was higher in G3. Total solids, SNF and milk protein did not vary among the groups whereas fat percentage was lower (P<0.01) in G3. The CLA content in the three groups were 6.84, 12.12 and 19.50 mg/g of milk fat respectively and significantly (P<0.05) differ among the groups. Hence, it was concluded that the level of CLA in milk fat depends upon the nature of diet offered to the animals and addition of 2% mustard oil increased the C18:2 and C18:3 fatty acids in the ration and it increase up to 185% CLA in milk fat.