Ruminal fermentation, milk fatty acid profiles, and productive performance of Holstein dairy cows fed 2 different safflower seeds

Abstract

A lactation trial was conducted to determine the effects of supplementing whole safflower seeds (SS) on ruminal fermentation, lactational performance, and milk fatty acid (FA) profiles. Nine multiparous Holstein cows (days in milk = 110 ± 20) were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design. Each period lasted 21 d, with 14 d of adaptation and 7 d of data collection. Within square, cows were randomly assigned to a sequence of 3 dietary treatments as follows: cottonseed total mixed ration (TMR; CST), conventional SS (variety S-208) TMR (CSST), and NutraSaff SS (Safflower Technologies International, Sidney, MT) TMR (NSST). Diets contained approximately 63% forage (36% alfalfa hay, 4% grass hay, and 23% corn silage) and 37% concentrate supplemented with 2% cottonseed to the CST and 3% conventional or NutraSaff SS to the CSST or the NSST, respectively. Intake of dry matter (DM) averaged 21.8 kg/d and did not differ across diets, but feeding the NSST decreased intake of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) due to lower dietary concentration of NDF in the NSST. Digestibilities of DM and nutrients were similar among treatments. No differences in yields of milk or milk components were observed in response to supplementing SS. Dietary treatments did not affect ruminal pH, total or molar proportions of ruminal volatile FA, and ammonia-N. However, cows fed SS had a higher molar proportion of isobutyrate than those fed the CST diet. Ruminal C16:0 FA concentration increased with the CST, whereas C18:1 cis-9 and C18:2 n-6 tended to increase with SS supplementation, indicating that conventional and NutraSaff SS were partially protected from microbial biohydrogenation. Supplementing SS decreased milk C16:0 concentration, whereas it increased C18:1 cis-9 and C18:1 trans-9. Milk FA C18:1 trans-11 and cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid increased and tended to increase with feeding the NSST, respectively, but not the CSST diet. In conclusion, supplementing diets with whole SS at 3% of dietary DM can be an effective strategy of fat supplementation to lactating dairy cows without negative effects on lactational performance and milk FA profiles.

Effect of unconventional oilseeds (safflower, poppy, hemp, camelina) on in vitro ruminal methane production and fermentation

“…In this sense, the increase in ammonia concentration found with the safflower (with and without husk) and camelina seeds is unfavourable. In contrast, supplementing the diet of cows with whole safflower seeds 12 and incubating safflower oil in vitro 31 had no effect on the rumen ammonia levels. The different response to the lipids from safflower might be related to the dosage and form (whole seeds, ground seeds, seed oil) of the lipid supplemented.…”

“…Accordingly, often both PUFA and biohydrogenation products, such as isomers of conjugated linoleic acids, are found to be elevated in milk and muscle when feeding with these types of seeds (e.g. safflower seed: Dschaak et al; 12 poppy seed: Bodkowski et al; 14 hemp seed: Gibb et al 15 ).…”

“…Very few studies have described the effects of feeding these seeds or their oils to ruminants (e.g. safflower seeds: Dschaak et al ., Rodríguez et al . ; poppy oil: Bodkowski et al .…”

“…Very few studies have described the effects of feeding these seeds or their oils to ruminants (e.g. safflower seeds: Dschaak et al, 12 17 ). The studies cited consistently report increased levels of PUFA in milk or muscle when animals are fed these seeds or their oils.…”

Effects of different forage combinations in total mixed rations on in vitro gas production kinetics, ruminal and milk fatty acid profiles of lactating cows

“…Dschaak et al. () noted that milk C16:0 content was associated with its intake and its content in ruminal digesta. In the present study, milk C16:0 presented the greatest content in TMR3 and the lowest content in TMR2, while ruminal C16:0 showed comparatively high content in TMR3 and the lowest in TMR2.…”