A multi-species direct-fed microbial supplement alters the milk lipidome of dairy cows

Summary: We determined the effect of a direct-fed microbial supplement containing a mixture of Lactobacillus animalis, Propionibacterium freudenreichii, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus licheniformis on the milk lipidome of dairy cows in early lactation. Our results showed that the supplemental additive altered the milk lipidome toward increased relative concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which would increase PUFA consumption in place of saturated fatty acid, resulting in potential health benefits such as reduced risk of coronary heart disease in consumers of milk.