UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research Institiúid Mhic Con Mí an Taighde Bhithmhóilínigh agus Bhithleighis

Research Spotlight: Effect of feeding regime on the metabolomic profiles of bovine buttermilk and whole milk powder

 
Cow's milk contains a rich blend of nutrients including carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals that can be altered by factors including dietary regime.

It is critically important for the agri-food sector that we understand the influence of feeding regimes on bovine milk and its derived dairy products. This is primarily due to the direct impact that feeding practices have on the quality, nutritional composition, and marketability of dairy products. These feeding practices also affect dairy production processes and the nutritional quality of products available for human consumption.

A research team led by Prof. Lorraine Brennan is investigating these relationships to identify the potential advantages of different feeding systems, particularly the Irish grass-based system. They hope to provide insights to support continued development and improvement of feeding systems.

The Brennan team recently published findings of a study to explore whether different dietary regimes affect the metabolite composition of bovine whole milk powder and buttermilk.

Specifically, the research focused on comparing the impact of three feeding regimes: pasture-based systems, total mixed rations (TMR), and partial mixed rations (PMR). A targeted metabolomic approach was used to achieve this, which allowed for a detailed analysis of over 500 metabolites present in the milk samples. This analysis was carried out at the UCD Conway Metabolomics Core facility, which is equipped with advanced analytical tools for comprehensive metabolomic profiling.

Circular graph with colours representing components of milk

The impact of dietary regime on metabolite classes of whole milk powder. Circos plot showing the significantly different metabolites across three dietary regimes; Pasture, PMR and TMR (N = 27). (Partial figure 2a of journal article cited below) 

The results of the study indicate that dietary regimes have a significant effect on the metabolomic profiles of dairy products like whole milk powder and buttermilk. Metabolite composition varied notably between samples from the different feeding systems, with some metabolites showing a clear distinction across the three regimes.

In particular, the lipid compound classes were found to be particularly sensitive to the type of diet, with marked differences in the lipid profiles of the milk samples from each feeding regime. This suggests that the type of feed can influence not only the nutritional content but also the sensory qualities of dairy products, such as flavor, texture, and health-related properties.

These findings underline the importance of feeding strategies in shaping the quality of dairy products and provide scientific evidence that supports the potential advantages of the Irish grass-based system.

This work contributes valuable insights for the optimisation of dairy production processes, offering pathways to enhance the nutritional quality and consumer appeal of dairy products.

Journal citation
Impact of dietary regime on the metabolomic profile of bovine buttermilk and whole milk powder. 
Connolly C, Timlin M, Hogan SA, Murphy EG, O'Callaghan TF, Brodkorb A, Hennessy D, Fitzpartick E, O'Donavan M, McCarthy K, Murphy JP, Yin X, Brennan L. Metabolomics. 2024 Aug 3;20(5):93. doi: 10.1007/s11306-024-02157-4. PMID: 39096405; PMCID: PMC11297810.