Species and breed-dependent differences in saturated and unsaturated fatty acids of ruminant milk

This study investigated the effect of species and breed on the composition of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in milk. The species examined were goats and cattle, with two breeds selected from each: Sokoto Red and Kano Brown for goats, and Bunaji and Rahaji for cattle. A 2 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design (CRD) with five replications. Ten fatty acids were analyzed—five saturated (lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, and arachidic acids) and five unsaturated (palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic acids). Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson’s product-moment correlation (PPMC). The results revealed that species had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the concentrations of palmitic and stearic acids (saturated) and palmitoleic, oleic, and linoleic acids (unsaturated). Cow milk contained higher levels of saturated fatty acids, while goat milk had higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids. Breed also significantly (p < 0.05) affected palmitic and linoleic acid concentrations, with milk from Sokoto Red goats showing the highest values, and the Rahaji breed the lowest. Correlation analysis indicated that most coefficients were negative and non-significant, ranging from –0.590 to –0.995 for goats and –0.436 to –0.994 for cattle. In conclusion, goat milk is recommended over cow milk due to its higher average content of unsaturated fatty acids, which are considered beneficial to human health.