Plasma concentration and lipid composition of lipoproteins in lactating dairy cows fed control and high grain diets

Six multiparous Holstein cows ranging from 7 to 19 wk postpartum were in a switchback design to determine effects of feeding high grain diets on lipoprotein concentration and composition in blood. Percents concentrate, alfalfa haylage, and corn silage of control and high grain diets were 50, 83; 25, 9; and 25, 8 dry matter. Milk yield (kg/day), milk fat percentage, and fat yield (g/day) averaged 27.7, 3.58, 997 and 30.2, 2.45, 729 for control and high grain treatments. Very low density, low density, and high density lipoproteins were isolated by gel filtration of total lipoproteins obtained by ultracentrifugation. Lipoprotein concentrations in blood plasma of cows fed the control or high grain diets were similar. Triglyceride, phospholipid, cholesterol, and cholesterol ester contents of each lipoprotein class were not altered by treatment. High grain feeding increased octadecadienoic fatty acid content of low density and high density lipoprotein cholesterol esters and decreased octadecenoic and octadecatrienoic acids. The trend was similar for the very low density lipoprotein fraction. Phospholipid octadecenoic acid decreased in all lipoprotein fractions but only significantly for high density lipoproteins. It is unlikely that differences in lipid composition of plasma lipoproteins caused alterations in lipoprotein metabolism leading to fat depression in this and other similar studies.