evaluation of the nutritive value of wild almond seed (amygdalus scoparia) and its effect on performance, milk fatty acid composition and antioxidant activity in lactating goats

A total of 21 dairy goats in mid lactation were randomly assigned to three experimental diets in a completely randomized design. the diets contained 0, 3, or 6% was, and consisted of 45% forage and 55% concentrates. milk fat and the ratio of milk fat to milk protein were significantly lower in goats fed diets containing 6% was (p≤0.01). digestibility of crude fat was higher, and that of neutral (ndf) and acid (adf) detergent fiber was lower in the goats fed diets containing was (p≤0.05). milk fatty acids c14: 1 and c18: 1 and c16: 1, c18: 2, cla and c18: 3 were significantly higher in animals which received diets containing was. total mono unsaturated fatty acid (mufa) content, poly unsaturated fa (pufa), and pufa/saturated fa (sfa) ratio were significantly higher in the goats fed diet containing 6% was (27.04%, 3.94% and 0.05, respectively). desaturation index for c16: 1 was significantly higher in was goats (p≤0.01). concentration of plasma hdl in goats (38.1439.28 mg/dl) was higher was goats (p≤0.05). in conclusion, supplementation of was to dairy goats at a level of 3 and 6% was an effective means of increasing concentrations of unsaturated fa, especially oleic, linoleic, cla, linolenic, and pufa in milk fat, and plasma hdl.