Comparative composition of total and sn-2 fatty acids in bovine and ovine milk fat

摘要

Similar diets were fed to cattle and sheep to compare the total and the sn-2 fatty acid (FA) composition of milk fat. The study confirmed that substrate availability in the bovine and ovine mammary gland is a determining factor in the sn-2 FA composition. The acyltransferase that esterifies the FA at the sn-2 position is specific for FA of chain length C14 to C18 and has a reduced affinity for short chain FA in cattle and sheep.