Effect of supplementation of curcumin to the diet of buffaloes on the fatty-acid profile of milk and the derivative yoghurt

Pencho Penchev, Yordanka Ilieva, Silviya Ivanova

Abstract: With the aim to study the changes in fatty acids of milk after diet supplementation with Curcumin
and after dairy processing to yoghurt (L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus), 12 Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes
were assigned in an experiment. A control (n = 6) and experimental (n = 6) group were allotted by the
analogue method, regarding parity, lactation stage, productivity and body condition. The experiment
period was 28 days, in which Curcumin C3 Complex was supplemented at a dose of 50 g per capita
per day. Test samples of milk were taken on Day 0 and Day 29 from each animal, and yoghurt was
produced from the milk pooled per each group per each test day. The individual milk samples and
the yoghurt samples were subjected to lipid analysis. The results showed that, in comparison to the
control group, in the milk from the experimental buffaloes total and individual saturated fatty acids
(SFA) have not changed, which applies also to the yoghurt. There was increased concentration of the
valuable vaccenic acid and total trans-isomers in the raw milk after Curcumin consumption, which is
obliterated after processing to yoghurt. The dominating MUFA, oleic acid, was found constant. Total
PUFA changed similarly in both groups, while total conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) showed to be
negatively affected by Curcumin supplementation, though rumenic acid was improved. The opposite
was apparent in the yoghurt on Day 29 – total CLA compensated and rumenic decreased. The groups
n-6 and n-3 acids showed higher levels in the milk from Day 29 in both groups. Thus the n-6/n-3 was
altered similarly in the two groups, while after dairy processing it was worsened in the control group,
but not in the experimental.

Keywords: buffalo milk; Bulgarian yoghurt; Curcumin; fatty acids

Date published: 2022-08-29