The objective of the study was to determine the effects
of adding flaxseed or fish oil to the diet on the milk
fatty acid profile of cows. The experiment was conducted
in the summer of 2006 and involved 24 Friesian cows
that were divided into 3 groups of 8 animals according
to different type of fat supplementation: a traditional
diet with no fat supplementation, a diet supplemented
with whole flaxseed, and a diet supplemented with fish
oil. Results suggested that whole flaxseed supplementation
positively affects the milk fatty acid profile during
summer. In particular, milk from cows receiving flaxseed
supplementation showed a decrease in saturated
fatty acid, an increase in monounsaturated fatty acid,
and, together with the milk from fish oil-supplemented
cows, an increase in polyunsaturated fatty acid content
compared with milk from control cows. As expected