Abstract #M313

# M313
Effects of supplementation with palmitic acid-enriched fat products on dry matter intake, milk yield, and component production: A meta-analysis.
M. D. Sellers1, T. L. Harris1, J. R. Loften*1, 1Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition, Eden Prairie, MN.

Recent research has demonstrated unique production responses to various supplemental fat products. Data on effects of supplementation with palmitic acid-enriched fat products (PA) on milk and component responses are limited. The objective of the current analysis was to examine dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield (MY), and milk component production responses in lactating dairy cows supplemented with PA. Data included in the study were extracted from 7 peer-reviewed publications, which included 12 treatment means that were supplemented with PA and 8 non-supplemented control (CON) diets. Dietary nutrient concentrations (DM%; range) were 16.3% CP [15 - 18.7%], 26.9% starch [16.1 - 29.3%], and 31.3% NDF [25.1 - 34.3%]. A random-effects model with the random effect of study was chosen to estimate the mean of the sampling distribution of possible effect sizes, and studies were weighted by the inverse of their variance. Weighted mean differences between PA and CON treatments as well as standard errors of the differences between means are reported. The average feeding amount of PA was 560 ± 92.5 g/d. Dry matter intake was decreased an average of 0.54 kg/d in cows supplemented with PA versus CON (26.07 vs 26.61 ± 0.169 kg/d; P < 0.01). Milk yield was not different between PA and CON (37.99 vs 37.76 ± 0.305 kg/d; P = 0.45). There were varying milk component responses to feeding PA. Milk fat percentage increased with PA supplementation (3.98 vs 3.74 ± 0.03%; P < 0.01), but milk protein percentage (3.15 vs 3.20 ± 0.015%; P < 0.01) and milk lactose percentage (4.76 vs 4.81 ± 0.009%; P < 0.01) decreased with PA supplementation. Milk fat yield increased with PA supplementation (1.44 vs. 1.35 ± 0.01 kg/d; P < 0.01), while milk protein yield did not differ (1.20 vs 1.21 ± 0.013 kg/d; P = 0.28), and milk lactose yield tended to decrease (1.80 vs 1.82 ± 0.013 kg/d; P = 0.07) with PA supplementation. These results indicate that supplementation with highly enriched PA products decreases DMI and does not affect MY. Moreover, PA supplementation increases milk fat concentration and yield, but decreases concentrations of milk protein and lactose.

Key Words: meta-analysis, palmitic acid, supplemental fat