Milk fat yield and composition during abomasal infusion of cis or trans octadecenoates in Holstein cows

The role of trans-C18:1 fatty acids in milk fat depression was examined. Six rumen-cannulated Holstein cows were assigned to two Latin squares with 21-d periods. The common basal diet contained 40% forage and 60% concentrate. Treatments were the uninfused control, 750 g/d of a mixture of cis fat (65% high oleic sunflower oil and 35% cocoa butter), and 750 g/d of a mixture of trans fat (93% shortening and 7% corn oil) infused into the abomasum via a tube that passed through the rumen cannula. Milk yield was similar among treatments. Milk fat percentage and yield were lower, and milk citrate concentration was higher, for the trans than the cis treatment. Changes in the fatty acid composition of milk were similar for the cis and trans treatments compared with the control except for trans-C18:1. The concentration of trans-C18:1 was greater for the cis and trans treatments than for the control and was greater for the trans than for the cis treatment. These data clearly demonstrated that infusion of trans-C18:1 fatty acids into the abomasum depressed milk fat percentage and yield. We speculate that reduced synthesis of fatty acids and reduced activity of acyl transferase in mammary tissue contributed to depressed milk fat percentage for the trans treatment.