Dietary fiber to starch ratio affects bovine milk Oligosaccharide profiles

Authors: DURHAM, SIERRA - University Of California, Davis; Lemay, Danielle; WEI, ZHE - University Of California, Davis; Kalscheur, Kenneth; Finley, John; Fukagawa, Naomi; BARILE, DANIELA - University Of California, Davis

Submitted to: Current Developments in Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/24/2022
Publication Date: 3/7/2022
Citation: Durham, S.D., Lemay, D.G., Wei, Z., Kalscheur, K., Finley, J.W., Fukagawa, N.K., Barile, D. 2022. Dietary fiber to starch ratio affects bovine milk Oligosaccharide profiles. Current Developments in Nutrition. 6/6. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzac033.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzac033

Interpretive Summary: Bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMOs) are promising ingredients for infant formulas, but their extraction from milk is challenged by their low concentrations relative to lactose. Cow diet impacts many milk components, but it’s effect on BMOs is not yet established. 19 BMOs from 59 Holsteins were analyzed after dietary modification with either a high fiber low starch or low fiber high starch feed. After adjusting for milk yield, 7 BMOs had significantly more positive percent changes in abundance compared to their pre-experiment levels when cows were fed the high fiber low starch diet compared to the low fiber high starch diet.

Technical Abstract: Bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMOs) have several demonstrated and hypothesized benefits including roles in cognitive development and anti-pathogenic activities, making them promising ingredients for infant formulas and nutraceutical applications. BMO extraction from bovine milk is challenged by low concentrations relative to non-bioactive simple sugars like lactose. BMO abundances are known to vary with a cow’s lactation stage, breed, and parity, but these characteristics are difficult to modify in existing dairy herds. In contrast, diet modification is an accessible target, and is already known to influence milk yield, lipid content, protein levels, and monosaccharide compositions. In this study, BMO profiles from 59 mid-lactation Holsteins were analyzed after dietary modification with either a high fiber low starch or low fiber high starch feed. 19 BMOs were identified across the sample set, including four large fucosylated compounds. 7 BMOs were found to have significantly more positive percent changes in yield-adjusted abundance from the pre-experiment baseline period for milk samples collected during feeding with the high fiber low starch diet compared to the low fiber high starch diet. Additionally, this study affords the opportunity to investigate the impact of other factors potentially influencing BMO abundances. Understanding how BMO profiles are impacted by cow diet will aid in developing dairy herd dietary management practices to positively impact milk composition and improve their potential for use as functional ingredients.