Abstract
This work evaluated the production and composition of milk from dairy cows fed increasing levels of cashew nuts in the concentrate portion of the diet. Eight Holstein multiparous cows were used, between the third and fifth lactation, with an average milk yield of 28.0 ± 4.0 kg day-1, arranged in a double 4 x 4 Latin square experimental design. The assessed diets consisted of including different amounts of ground cashew nuts (CN): 0; 80; 160 and 240 g kg-1 of concentrate portion, which resulted in ether extract contents of 31.6; 46.0; 68.9 and 73.1 g kg-1 of dietary dry matter, respectively. Corn silage was used as the only roughage at a proportion of 50% and diets were formulated to be isoprotein. Diet was offered as a complete mixture. Average milk yield was 30.3 kg day-1. The concentration of protein, N-urea and lactose did not present significant variations (p>0.05) among the diets. The inclusion of 24% of cashew nut in the concentrate portion of the diet, maintains milk production, reduces milk fat content and together with the reduction in the concentration of short chain fatty acids and the increase in the concentrations of long chain fatty acids, provide a greater nutraceutical value to milk, making the use of cashew nut an excellent alternative for obtaining milk with more benefits to human health.
Highlights
Selecting animals with a greater milk potential requires the use of concentrate feeds, increasing the need to evaluate alternative food sources, such as agroindustrial byproducts
When lipids are supplied at high levels in the diet, this may cause the accumulation of intermediaries of ruminal biohydrogenation of long chain unsaturated fatty acids, reducing the lipogenic capacity of the mammary gland, and reducing fat content in the milk as a consequence (CHILLIARD et al, 2007)
The addition of cashew nuts (CN) to the diet maintained milk yield and milk yield corrected for total solids (MCCTS), regardless of the level of inclusion in the concentrate portion of the diet (Table 3)
Summary
Selecting animals with a greater milk potential requires the use of concentrate feeds, increasing the need to evaluate alternative food sources, such as agroindustrial byproducts. CN that are improper for human consumption are an agroindustrial byproduct. The supply of CN as a source of lipids to dairy cows is an alternative that allows for increasing the energy density in the diet. When lipids are supplied at high levels in the diet, this may cause the accumulation of intermediaries of ruminal biohydrogenation of long chain unsaturated fatty acids, reducing the lipogenic capacity of the mammary gland, and reducing fat content in the milk as a consequence (CHILLIARD et al, 2007). Consumers are increasingly aware of the link between diet and health, and recently fatty acids have gained special attention for their potential health benefits (CHILLIARD et al, 2007)
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