Influence of Fat Intake as a Dietary Supplement on the Compositional Quality of Bovine Milk

This study addresses the need to improve the nutritional quality of bovine milk, specifically the profile of essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6, within a context where obesity is a public health concern in Ecuador. The project focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of incorporating supplementary fats into cattle diets. Eight Holstein cows at the La Morita farm were subjected to three dietary treatments: by-pass fat, palm oil, and sunflower oil. The experimental methodology involved weekly milk sample collection over three months for subsequent analysis. The detailed experimental work covered the extraction of milk fat, the extraction and methylation of fatty acids, and their subsequent identification and quantification using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Individual calibration curves were used for each fatty acid standard to ensure accurate quantification. Finally, the obtained data will be statistically analyzed using a completely randomized design (CRD) with Infostat V2019 software. The expected outcome is to establish which fat supplement achieves the most ideal fatty acid profile in the milk, contributing to healthier nutrition.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>The main objective of this project is to determine the influence of supplementing the diet of Holstein cattle with different types of fats (by-pass fat, palm oil, and sunflower oil) on the compositional quality and fatty acid profile of the resulting milk.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>animal biotechnology