Effect of green fodder feeding on conjugated linoleic acid in milk and ghee (clarified butter oil) of cows and buffaloes

Ten multiparous crossbred cows and ten Murrah buffaloes (Bos Bubalis) in their early stage of lactation were randomly divided into four group of 5 animals each (Groups 1 and 2 for cows and groups 3 and 4 for buffaloes). Animals of groups 1 and 3 were offered ad lib. berseem fodder (Trifolium alexandrinum) and wheat straw groups 2 and 4 were fed concentrate mixture and wheat straw ad lib. for 12 weeks of experimental period. After an adaptation period of 4 weeks, the milk samples collected at fortnightly intervals were analyzed for milk fat, sold not fat, total solids and milk protein. Milk sample (100 ml) from each animal of all the four groups was collected from the morning and evening milking at fortnightly interval and pooled for fatty acid analysis including CLA. Ghee (clarified butter oil) was also prepared at fortnightly intervals by indigenous and creamery (commercial) methods from the total milk of each group. The milk yield in four respective groups averaged 12.06, 11.93, 9.99 and 7.9 kg per day showing a significant (P less than 0.01) increase in the milk yield of buffaloes fed high fodder diet as compared to high concentrate diet, while there was no effect in cows. Milk composition was not affected by dietary treatments in both cows and buffaloes. Milk total CLA content averaged 19.55, 6.44, 16.38 and 6.78 mg/g fat in four respective groups, showing significantly (P less than 0.01) higher values in berseem fed groups of both the species. In cows, total CLA content increased two folds in ghee prepared by indigenous method irrespective of diet i.e.10.40 vs 20.07 (group 1), 6.93 vs 12.13 (group 2), whereas, it increased by 40-50% in buffaloes (10.38 vs 16.87 in group 3 and 5.83 vs 7.59 mg/g in group 4). Feeding of fresh fodder to the animals along with indigenous, method of ghee preparation resulted in 310% increase in CLA content.