EN
The aim of the study was to estimate the content of functional components of milk in some major cattle breeds. The study was performed in two parts. The first was conducted on Black-and-White (BW) and Polish Red (PR) cows. All animals were kept as one herd at Popielno, and maintained according to the traditional extensive feeding system. Bulk milk samples were used, representing the milk of 349 Simmental cows (SM) cows, maintained and fed in similar conditions to BW and PR animals. The second part included Black-and-White cows upgraded with HF (BW HF) and Simmental cows (SM). Animals of BWHF and SM breed originated from different herds. However, they were maintained and fed according to a similar system, without access to pasture. Milk was examined for antioxidants, CLA and other functional fatty acids as well as FFA and MDA content indicative of milk fat quality. The milk of SM cows maintained according to the traditional system significantly (p≤0.01) exceeded BW and PR for A and E vitamins, as well as C 4:0, C18:2, C20:4, C20:5, and C22:5, while was lower (p≤0.01) than of BW in the case of fat, MDA, FFA and C vitamin (p≤0.01) content. There was a highly significant interaction of breed and season. During the grazing season milk of BW cows contained significantly more (p≤0.01) fat, C vitamin, C18:1 trans 11 and CLA than that of SM. In the case of animals fed TMR diet, milk of SM exceeded significantly (p≤0.01) that of BW HF cows for fat, protein, CLA, C20:4 and C20:5 content, while MDA, FFA, cholesterol and C18:2 content of milk were higher in BW HF animals. Individual variation of CLA content differed among breeds and was the greatest (over 3 fold) in milk fat of BW cows.