Effect of the fatty acid marker gene diacylglycerol o-acyl transferase 1 (DGAT1) on the fatty acid composition and organoleptic properties of samples of butter produced from the milk of domestic breeds of cows

Abstract

In modern conditions, effective breeding work in animal husbandry is impossible without DNA technologies. The search for selective marker genes that determine the dairy productivity of animals allows us to more reliably assess the genetic potential of breeds, adjust breeding processes, and select animals of desirable genotypes. In the Republic of Belarus, almost no work was carried out to identify genetic markers that affect the fat content, fatty acid composition of milk fat, and as a result, the yield and quality of the finished product (butter). In this regard, a special interest is the diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) gene, which determines the fat content. The paper presents a comparative assessment of the fatty acid composition and organoleptic properties of butter samples produced from the milk of cows of natural selection according to the gene marker of fatty milk diacylglycerol o-acyl transferase 1 (DGAT1). The results of tests of the fatty acid composition of butter from cow’s milk obtained from cows of different breeds and pedigreed its balance, compliance with the established values for volatile and unsaturated fatty acids, absence of phytosterols and adulteration of the fatty phase of the oil were emphasised. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the use of the results obtained to carry out targeted breeding of dairy cattle according to the gene marker of fat content of diacylglycerol o-acyl transferase 1 (DGAT1) in order to increase the mass fraction of fat in milk and the yield of the finished product, as well as to improve the technology of making butter from cow’s milk and the formation of an evidence base in case of disagreement when evaluating the fatty acid composition of the product.