The effect of increasing amounts of dietary red palm oil on milk fat secretion in the cow

Abstract

1. The effects, on the secretion in milk of fat and its component fatty acids, of supplementing a basal diet low in fat with red palm oil at three levels are reported.2. The secretion of total fat and of the fatty acids contained in the oil supplement was positively correlated with the dietary intakes, except for linoleic acid which was hydrogenated in the rumen before its absorption and secretion in milk. 3. Evidence for the synthesis de novo of palmitic acid and for the possible depression of intramammary de novo synthesis by high levels of dietary fat is discussed.