Abstract:

Purpose: The study was carried out to investigate the correlation between somatic cell count (SCC) and the profile
of fatty acids in milk of dairy cows. Methods: Four hundred and seventy four milk samples from early lactating (30–100
days) dairy cows with no clinical mastitis were determined for SCC and milk fatty acids. The effect of SCC on the contents
of milk fatty acids and the correlation between SCC and milk fatty acids were analyzed by the software SAS 9.0. Results:
SCC had a significant effect on C16:1, cis9, trans11-CLA and C18:3 n3 (P < 0.01). The relative levels of polyunsaturated fatty
acids (PUFA) were significantly positively correlated with SCC in milk (P < 0.05), but a significantly negative correlation
was found between SCC and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) (P < 0.01). Conclusions: These results reveal a negative
correlation between SCC and SCFA in milk of dairy cows.

Key words: somatic cell count, fatty acid, correlation analysis, milk