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Lipid Composition of Bovine Teat Canal Keratin

Milk Secretion and Mastitis Laboratory, Animal Science Institute, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705

ABSTRACT

Keratin was obtained by scraping the teat canals of excised teats from 12 lactating and 12 dry cows immediately after slaughter. Teats from four lactating and four dry cows were also stored at –20°C for 2 wk to assess whether keratin composition was affected by frozen storage. Lipids were extracted from keratin of individual teats with 2:1 chloroform-methanol. Neutral lipid classes were determined by TLC and fatty acids by capillary GLC. Total lipid content of keratin was 4% of wet weight. Lipid composition of keratin from fresh and frozen teats was similar. Differences were observed in several lipid classes between keratin from lactating and dry cows. Triglycerides were higher in keratin from lactating cows, 58.4 vs. 28.1%, whereas cholesterol was lower in keratin from lactating cows, 18.5 vs. 37.5%. Short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids were 3x lower in keratin from dry than from lactating cows; 18:2 and polyunsaturated fatty acids were 2x higher in keratin from dry than from lactating cows. Results indicated that large differences exist between the detailed lipid composition of keratin from dry and lactating dairy cows.