Summary
This empirical study characterised the fatty acid profile of khainak milk—a traditional highland dairy product from the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan—across all four seasons over three years. The findings demonstrate that mountain pasture flora substantially influences milk lipid composition, with saturated fatty acids dominating (maximal 73.10 ± 2.19 g/100 g in winter, driven by palmitic acid at ~35 g/100 g), whilst monounsaturated fatty acids, particularly oleic acid, peaked in spring (26.85 ± 0.81 g/100 g) and declined with seasonal vegetation changes. These compositional data may inform optimisation of processing parameters for full-fat dairy products including cheese, butter, and sour cream.
Regional applicability
The findings may have limited direct applicability to UK dairy production systems, which operate under different climatic, pasture botanical, and management conditions. However, the demonstrated linkage between seasonal pasture composition and milk fatty acid profiles could inform UK dairy producers managing grassland-based systems and seeking to optimise milk composition for specific product categories.
Key measures
Fatty acid composition (g/100 g) by season: saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA; particularly oleic acid C18:1), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA); individual fatty acids C14:0, C16:0 (palmitic acid), C18:0
Outcomes reported
The study quantified seasonal changes in the fatty acid profile of khainak milk over three years (2019–2021) using gas chromatography analysis. Saturated fatty acids dominated year-round (73.10 g/100 g in winter), whilst monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids varied seasonally in response to mountain pasture vegetation cycles.
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