Investigating the role of the autonomic nervous system, as one of the key regulatory systems controlling metabolism in animals, is essential for assessing individual differences in the intensity and direction of metabolic processes. Therefore, studying the influence of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems on lipid metabolism, including fatty acids, is a relevant issue for ensuring dairy productivity in cows. This study aimed to provide a comparative assessment of the content of unsaturated fatty acids in cow’s milk under varying types of autonomic regulation during the summer period. Experimental groups of Ukrainian Black-andWhite dairy cows were formed based on sympathovagal balance, determined using a variationpulsometry method. Gas chromatography was used to determine the fatty acid composition of the milk. The results revealed that the level of myristoleic acid in the milk of cows with vagotonia was 22% higher (P < 0.001) compared to that in cows with normotonia, and 7% higher (P < 0.05) compared to cows with sympathotonia. Palmitoleic acid levels in the milk of cows with vagotonia were 21% lower (P < 0.001) compared to those with normotonia, and 16% lower (P < 0.001) compared to cows with sympathotonia. In the milk of cows with sympathotonia, a 3.6% reduction (P < 0.05) in oleic acid content was recorded relative to cows with normotonia. The level of linoleic acid in cows with vagotonia was 19% lower (P < 0.05) than that in cows with normotonia, whereas in those with sympathotonia, it was 6% higher (P < 0.05). The content of α-linolenic acid in the milk of cows with vagotonia was 46% lower (P < 0.05) compared to normotonic cows, while in those with sympathotonia, it was 30% higher (P < 0.05). A relationship was established between autonomic nervous system activity and the content of unsaturated fatty acids in milk. The findings highlight the importance of exploring the regulatory mechanisms involved in lipid metabolism, particularly in dairy farming, where the individual productivity of cows is determined by the levels of fats consumed, absorbed, synthesised and metabolised within the body
ruminants; gas chromatography; lipids; variation pulsometry; nervous system
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