Comparison of lipid profiles in the faeces of beef cattlefed three common temperate grass silage dietsand their relevance to dietary composition

Summary

Faecal lipidome signatures may vary depending on diet. Analyzing 17 different lipidome compounds and calculating ratios between them, we analysed the composition of faecal lipidomes (fatty alcohols, stanols, and archaeol) of beef cattle fed different diets. In this study, we measured the faecal lipidome profiles of beef cattle fed three types of grass silage representative of United Kingdom grasslands by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The forage consisted of 1) permanent pasture (sown perennial ryegrass mixed with unsown species); 2) reseeded perennial ryegrass monoculture; and 3) reseeded mixture of perennial ryegrass and white clover (ca 80:20 fresh weight). The contents of three forages varied significantly in water-soluble carbohydrates, acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent f