Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-tdptf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-16T11:23:40.850Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Estimation of genetic variation in A9-desaturase enzyme activity in dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2017

M.D. Royal*
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE1 2 5RD, U.K. Dept. Vet. Clin. Sci, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, South Wirral, CH64 7TE, U.K.
P.C. Garnsworthy*
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE1 2 5RD, U.K.
Get access

Extract

The ▵9-desaturase enzyme adds a cis-9 double bond to fatty acids in adipose and mammary tissue. In the mammary gland, this reaction converts C14:0 to C14:1, C16:0 to C16:1, C18:0 to cis-9 C18:1 (oleic acid), and trans- 11 C18:1(vaccenic acid) to cis-9, trans- 11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Oleic acid is of interest in human nutrition as a component of the “Mediterranean diet” and CLA has been shown to have numerous health benefits. Conversion of vaccenic acid to CLA in the mammary gland accounts for 75-80% of CLA found in milk (Lock and Garnsworthy, 2002), but activity of the Δ9-desaturase enzyme varies among individual cows irrespective of dietary manipulations (Lock and Garnsworthy, 2003), suggesting that it may have a genetic component. The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic variation in Δ9-desaturase activity in dairy cows using milk fatty acid profiles.

Type
Theatre Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Feng, S., Lock, A.L. and Garnsworthy, P.C. (2004) A rapid lipid separation method for determining fatty acid composition of milk. J. Dairy Sci. 87: 37853788.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lock, A.L. and Garnsworthy, P.C. (2002). Independent effects of dietary linoleic and linolenic fatty acids on the conjugated linoleic acid content of cows’ milk. Anim. Sci. 74: 163176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lock, A.L. and Garnsworthy, P.C. (2003). Seasonal variation in conjugated linoleic acid and A9-desaturase activity in dairy cows. Livest. Prod. Sci. 79: 4759.CrossRefGoogle Scholar