Free fatty acid profiles and cholesterol and lipid indexes of raw ewe's milk from two Algerian breeds (Ouled-Djellal and Rumbi), collected in the steppe area

Ancien Id ProdINRA 356174

anglais. Description of the subject. This article aims to characterize the fat content of raw ewe's milk, collected locally in the Algerian central steppe, an area highly appreciated for its production of smen (traditional butter). Objectives. The objective of this study was to investigate the free fatty acid profile and the cholesterol and lipid indexes of raw ewe's milk from two Algerian local breeds (Ouled-Djellal and Rumbi). Method. Milk was collected from 20 ewes of each breed three times during the middle stage of lactation. The milk fat was extracted using the Rose-Gottlieb method. Fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography. Results. Palmitic (24.4% +/- 3.3), oleic (24.2% +/- 4.6), stearic (10.8% +/- 3.5), myristic (10.4% +/- 1.9) and capric (8.3% +/- 3.5) acids dominated and accounted for 78.1% of the total fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids predominated compared to unsaturated fatty acids (69.6% +/- 5.3 vs 30.8% +/- 5.1), and monounsaturated fatty acids outweighed the polyunsaturated (26.3% +/- 4.7 vs 4.5% +/- 1.1). The Ouled-Djellal milk had a higher short-chain fatty acid content than the Rumbi milk (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the Rumbi milk was richer in medium chain fatty acids. The two types of milk differed significantly regarding their palmitic and palmitoleic acid content (p < 0.05). Within the long chain of fatty acids, only the stearic acid (10.88% +/- 2.83 vs 12.34% +/- 2.75; p < 0.01) and the arachidic acid (0.26% +/- 0.18 vs 0.35% +/- 0.09; p < 0.05) were influenced by the breed. Conclusions. Results showed that milk from the Rumbi ewe was richer in fatty acids than the milk from the Ouled-Djellal and that Rumbi ewe's milk may be of value in dairy technology due to the socio-economic impact that it can generate.