Fatty Acid Profile of Sarda and Maltese Goat Milk

"This study compared the fatty acid (FA) profile of milk produced by Sarda and Maltese goats. It was carried out utilizing one group of 13 Maltese goats and one group of 13 Sarda goats in two dairy farms (N=52). Individual milk samples were collected 4 times over one lactation period. FA were analyzed by gas chromatography utilizing 100 m Supelco SLB-IL111 capillary column, that provided the separation of most trans-fatty acids (t-FA) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers. For each goat breed we evaluated the milk fat content in saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), plus the detailed composition in t-FA and CLA isomers. The n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6, DHA) content was higher in the milk of the Sarda breed while CLA, vaccenic acid (VA) and t-FA were higher in the milk of the Maltese breed, suggesting the influence of breed on milk FA profile."