Comparison of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content in milk of ewes and goats with the same dietary regimen

Milk fat is an important source of potential anticarcinogens named conjugated
linoleic acid (CLA). The c9, t11-CLA is the major isomer and it is produced by ruminal hydrogenation of
linoleic acid that leads first to vaccenic (11t-18:1) and finally to stearic acid (18:0). An alternative CLA
pathway is related to the action of the mammary Δ9-desaturase enzyme on 11t-18:1. Diet is considered
the main factor that influence the CLA concentration in milk fat. Differences in CLA content of sheep
(Antongiovanniet al., 2002) and goats milk (Nuddaet al., 2002) have been hypothesized, but results are
difficult to compare due to different experimental condition in which the trials are carried out. The aim
of this work is to compare the composition of milk fatty acids and CLA content in goats and sheep maintained
in the same environmental condition and dietary regimen.