Effect of storage on fatty acid profile of butter from cows fed whole or ground flaxseed with or without monensin

Eight Holstein cows with body weight 570 +/- 43 kg and 60 +/- 20 lactation days were distributed in a double Latin square design with four 21-day periods to determine the effects of feeding ground or whole flaxseed with or without monensin supplementation (0.02% on a dry matter basis) on fatty acid profile of butter stored for 15 and 45 days. Ground flaxseed supply, in comparison to whole flaxseed, reduced relative percentages of 16:0, cis7-16:1, 17:0, and cis10-17:1 but it increased those of cis9, trans11-18:2, cis3-18:3, and omega 3 fatty acids in butter fat, reducing relative percentage of medium-chain fatty acids and increasing the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Supplementation with monensin increased relative percentages of cis9, trans11-18:2 and tended to increase relative percentage of 17:0 and decrease that of saturated fatty acids in butter. Butter from cows fed diet with monensin presented lower relative percentages of cis 6-20:4. Relative percentages of cis 9-16:1, cis10-17:1, 18:0, trans11-18:1, cis9-18:1, cis3-18:3, cis6-20:4 in butter stored for 15 days were higher than those stored for 45 days and the relative percentages of cis3-20:5 tended to decrease with the increase of storage period. As a result, relative percentages of saturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids increased with storage time, while those of monounsaturated and long-chain fatty acids decreased. Butter enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids may have a shorter shelf life due to the negative effect of storage on fatty acid profile which may cause oxidation and rancidity.