Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXVIII, Issue 2
Written by Alex CUIBUS, Eugen Claudiu JURCO, Adina Lia LONGODOR, Aurelia COROIAN, Andreea Oana MASTAN, Cristina HEGEDUŞ, Simona Gabriela JURCO, Vioara MIREŞAN
Demand for buffalo milk is on the rise, due to a shift in consumer choices towards healthier, more nutritious, and sustainable foods, this article aims to showcase the qualities of this product, particularly in terms of fatty acid (FA) composition. Romanian buffalo milk samples were collected from a buffalo farm in Mesendorf, Transylvania. The milk samples were individually collected at fixed intervals post-calving, across 3 milking sequences: beginning, middle and end of milking, from both primiparous and multiparous females, and analyzed in the laboratory. The study revealed that milking sequences significantly affected almost all FAs, and significant (P<0.05) interactions between days post-calving and milking sequences were observed for 6 out of the 14 fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) averaged 74.29%, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) averaged 23.43%, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) had a mean of 2.28%. Milk Quality indices, like the Atherogenicity index (AI) or Thrombogenicity index (TI), among others, were calculated. Romanian buffalo milk of with an unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio of 0.35, shows a potentially healthy lipid profile.
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