Enhancement of the conjugated linoleic acid and vitamin A and E contents in goat milk through green fodder feeding

Twelve lactating crossbred goats (Sanan x Beetal) in early lactation were divided into two groups of six each. Group I was fed on fresh berseem fodder (Trifolium alexandrinum), whereas group II was fed on berseem fodder and concentrate mixture in 1 : 1 ratio to fulfil their nutritional requirements as per National Research Council (1981 ). Feed intake and milk yield were recorded daily, and milk samples were collected on 0, 30, 45 and 60 days of experimental feeding for the estimation of fat, vaccenic acid, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), vitamins A and E, and total antioxidant activity. There was no effect (P > 0.05) of dietary treatments on daily as well as total milk yield and milk fat, solids-not-fat and total solids, although average total CLA (mg/g fat) content in milk during the trial was higher(P < 0.01) in group I (18.92) in comparison to group II (10.94). Vitamin A content averaged 0.46 and 0.27 μg/mL and vitamin E, 1.20 and 1.38 μg/mL in milk of groups I and II, respectively, were higher in the berseem-fed group (P < 0.01) and total antioxidant activity of milk was also higher (P < 0.01) in group I than in group II.