The linear relationship between the proportion of fresh grass in the cow diet, milk fatty acid composition, and butter properties

Fresh grass in the cow diet improves the rheological and nutritional properties of butter. However, the relationship between the proportion of fresh grass in the diet and these properties is still unknown. The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between the proportion of fresh grass in the diet and the properties of milk and butter. Four groups of 2 cows were fed 4 isoenergetic diets characterized by increasing amounts of fresh grass (0, 30, 60, and 100% dry matter of forage) according to a Youden square design. Energy levels were similar among all diets. Thus, no effect of mobilization was observed and the results were only due to the proportion of fresh grass in the diet. Milk yield linearly increased with the proportion of fresh grass in the diet (+0.21 kg/d per 10% of grass). Fat yield remained unchanged. Thus, by effect of dilution, increasing the proportion of fresh grass in the diet induced a linear decrease in fat content. Milk fat globule size decreased by 0.29 μm when the proportion of grass reached 30% in the diet. Increasing the proportion of fresh grass in the diet induced a linear increase in unsaturated fatty acids percentages at the expense of saturated fatty acids. Relationships were +0.38, +0.12, +0.05 and −0.69 points/10% of fresh grass in the diet for C18:1 trans-11, C18:2 cis-9,trans-11, C18:3n-3, and C16:0, respectively. These modifications in fatty acid composition, and in particular in the spreadability index, C16:0/C18:1, were responsible for linear decreases in final melting temperature and solid fat content in butter fat, perceived in sensory analysis by a linear decrease in firmness in mouth. The nutritional value of butter was also linearly improved by the proportion of fresh grass in the diet by halving the atherogenicity index.