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Seasonal Differences Of The Nutrient Content Of The Milk Of The Cows Of Fulani Pastoralist In Northern Nigeria
Abstract
The Fulani are semi-nomadic pastoralist who inhabited western Sahel from Mauritania and Senegal across Mali, Burkina Faso, the Republic of Niger and Northern Nigeria to Chad. Their culture is centred around cattle and dairy products contribute substantially to the diets of Fulani children and adults. Having found in previous study that the milk fat of lactating Fulani women contained relatively low proportions of critical n-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid and the essential fatty-acid, linoleic acid, we were interested in the general issue of the nutrient quality of the milk of Fulani cows and specifically in the question of the essential fatty acid and n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid content of the milk fat they produce.
Since the pasture upon which Fulani cattle graze varies markedly between the two main seasons in the western Sahel, namely the cold-dry season (November-April) and the rainy season (May-September) we collected milk samples from seven cows during April and from another four cows during the month of August and analyzed these milk specimens for their content of fatty acids, amino acids, and minerals and trace elements.
We found significant season-dependent differences in the linoleic acid content of the milk lipid fraction; the proportion of linoleic acid in milk produced during the cold-dry season was 2.19% whereas that of cow milk during the rainy season was 0.65% (p<0.001). the lipid fraction of the milk from cows during rainy season was also markedly deficient in its content of critical n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The total lipid (1.76-2.07 g/dL) and total protein content (3.16-3.70 g/dL) of the milk produce during the two season were not significantly different. However, the methionine content of the milk of the rainy season cows was twice that of milk produced during the cold-dry season (1230 versus 660 mg. L, p<0.001). the milk of the rainy season cows also contained more leucine compared to the milk produced by cows during the cold-dry season (3630 versus 2810 mg L, p<0.04). the milk produce by animals during both seasons contained amounts of essential minerals (e.g. calcium, potassium, sodium) and trace elements (e.g. zinc, selenium, copper) that were comparable to values reported for cows in other parts of the world.
The relatively low amount of the essential fatty acid, linoleic acid, in the milk produced by cows during the rainy season could have implications for lactating Fulani and the infants who are exclusively breast-fed by them during the first six months of life.
Highland Medical Research Journal Vol.1(3) 2003: 6-12
Since the pasture upon which Fulani cattle graze varies markedly between the two main seasons in the western Sahel, namely the cold-dry season (November-April) and the rainy season (May-September) we collected milk samples from seven cows during April and from another four cows during the month of August and analyzed these milk specimens for their content of fatty acids, amino acids, and minerals and trace elements.
We found significant season-dependent differences in the linoleic acid content of the milk lipid fraction; the proportion of linoleic acid in milk produced during the cold-dry season was 2.19% whereas that of cow milk during the rainy season was 0.65% (p<0.001). the lipid fraction of the milk from cows during rainy season was also markedly deficient in its content of critical n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The total lipid (1.76-2.07 g/dL) and total protein content (3.16-3.70 g/dL) of the milk produce during the two season were not significantly different. However, the methionine content of the milk of the rainy season cows was twice that of milk produced during the cold-dry season (1230 versus 660 mg. L, p<0.001). the milk of the rainy season cows also contained more leucine compared to the milk produced by cows during the cold-dry season (3630 versus 2810 mg L, p<0.04). the milk produce by animals during both seasons contained amounts of essential minerals (e.g. calcium, potassium, sodium) and trace elements (e.g. zinc, selenium, copper) that were comparable to values reported for cows in other parts of the world.
The relatively low amount of the essential fatty acid, linoleic acid, in the milk produced by cows during the rainy season could have implications for lactating Fulani and the infants who are exclusively breast-fed by them during the first six months of life.
Highland Medical Research Journal Vol.1(3) 2003: 6-12
