1. Forages and Human Health
Yvan Chouinard Ph.D., agronome
November 18th, 2014
5TH ANNUAL CANADIAN FORAGE & GRASSLAND CONFERENCE
NSERC-Novalait-DFC-FPLQ-MAPAQ-Valacta Industrial Research Chair on Nutritional Control of the Production of Milk Components in Dairy Cows

2. Presentation Outline Effects on Human Health Nutritive Value
Milk Fatty Acid Profile
Pleasure (Hedonicity)
Milk Aromatic Profile
Environment
Enteric Methane Emission

3. Milk Fatty Acid Profile
Nutritive Value
Milk Fatty Acid Profile

4. Increasing ω-3 Fatty Acids in Milk
Strategies :
Supplying ω-3 fatty acids in the diet
Inhibiting ruminal biohydrogenation
Red Clover
Source of ω-3 fatty acids
Source of polyphenol oxidase
Reduces lipolyse of glycerolipids
Prevents ruminal biohydrogenation

5. Effect of Red Clover Dietary Treatments Alfalfa Red Clover
Alfalfa Silage
42.2
---
Red Clover Silage
38.2
Barley Straw
6.0
10.0
Flacked Corn
19.1
18.6
Ground Corn
9.0
9.5
Corn Starch
15.1
Soybean Meal
7.0
Minerals & Vitamines
1.6
Leduc et al. 2014

6. (g secreted/100 g ingested)
Effect of Red Clover
ω-3 Fatty Acids
(mg/g fat)
Transfer Efficiency
(g secreted/100 g ingested)
P < 0.01
Leduc et al. 2014

7. Effects of Forage Type
A 5.3-ha field plot of timothy (Phleum pratense L. cultivar AC Alliance) was used for forage production
Alternate windrows harvested as silage
Remaining windrows harvested as hay
Same plot used as pasture during the feeding trial
Silage
(plastic bags)
Hay
(rectangular bales)
Pasture
(strip grazing)
Villeneuve et al. 2013

8. Milk Fatty Acid Profile
α-Linolenic Acid (ω-3)
Conjugated Linoleic Acid
Villeneuve et al. 2013

9. Milk Conservation Susceptibility to oxidation Dietary Antioxidants
Alfalfa Protein Concentrate (carotenoids)
Extraluz, Désialis, France

10. Effect of Alfalfa Protein Concentrate
Treatment
Control
Vitamin E
Extraluz
Grass/Legume Silage
86.8
Ground Barley
2.0
Soybean Meal
9.1
---
Extraluz (Alfalfa Protein Concentrate)
Vitamine E
0.03*
Vitamins & Minerals
* Vitamin E : 300 IU / kg
Extraluz, Désialis, France

11. Effects of Alfalfa Protein Concentrates
Plus le potentiel rédox est élevé, plus le pouvoir de l’oxydant est fort et celui du réducteur faible.
P = 0.07
Fauteux et al. 2013

12. Pleasure (Hedonicity)
Milk Aromatic Profile

13. Character Impact Compound
Coconut, hot milk,
fruity
δ-Decalactone
2-Butanone
Varnish
Acetone
Cowy, feed-like
Dimethyl sulphide
Weed
Dimethylsulphone
Hot milk, burnt
Butyric acid
Vomit, fetta cheese
Caproic acid
Fatty, waxy

14. Sensory Analysis Last week of the feeding trial
Milk collected and pooled by cow and by treatment
Refrigerated in 250-L bulk tanks
Transferred to the pilot plant
Homogenized
Standardized (3.25% milk fat)
Pasteurised
Sensory evaluation
Triangle test
Ranking test

15. Aldehydes Attribute : - Herbaceous (Moio et al., 1993)
Straight-chain aldehydes can derive from lipid degradation (Toso et al., 2002)
More lipids in pasture and silage as compared with hay
Pentanal A A B
P < 0.01
SEM = 0.13

16. Sulphur Compounds Attributes :
Sulphurous, hot milk, burnt (Moio et al., 1993)
Contribute to the « normal » flavor of milk
Derived from the catabolism of sulfur amino acids (methionine) (Taylor and Kiene, 1989)
In line with dietary supply of protein, as a source of methionine, which was high in pasture, intermediate in silage, and low in hay
Dimethylsulphone A AB B
P = 0.03
SEM = 0.08

17. Lactones Attributes : Sweet, peach, coconut, fruity
Synthisized from dietary long chain fatty acids
(Urbach, 1990)
Synthesis affected by ruminal conditions
(Urbach et Stark 1978) A A B AB A B B AB B
P < 0.05

18. Triangle Tests - 30 Assessors
Retained
Response
Correct
Significance
(Risk)
Silage vs. Hay 30 12
0.28
Pasture vs. Hay 20
< 0.01
Sensory attributes identified by assessors to discriminate between samples

19. Ranking Test - 30 Assessorsb b
Sums of
rankings
from 1 to 3
Hay
Pasture
Silage
P < 0.05

20. Ranking Test - 30 Assessorsab b
Sums of
rankings
from 1 to 3
Hay
Pasture
Silage
P < 0.05

21. Enteric Methane Emission
Environment
Enteric Methane Emission

22. 2.05 kg CO2e / kg of milk consumed
Carbon Footprint
2.05 kg CO2e / kg of milk consumed
University of Arkansas & Michigan Technological University 2010

23. Barley Silage vs. Corn Silage
Benchaar et al. 2014

24. Alfalfa Silage vs. Corn Silage
Hassanat et al. 2013

25. Timothy Silage vs. Alfalfa Silage
Hassanat et al. 2014

26. Presentation Summary Milk fatty acid profile (ω-3, CLA)
Red clover
Pasture
Milk aromatic profile
Volatile organic compounds responsible for sensory attributes
Enteric methane emission
Variations between dietary forages