Effect of hemp seed oil supplementation on plasma lipid profile, liver function, milk fatty acid, cholesterol, and vitamin A concentrations in Carpathian goats

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with hemp seed oil (HSO) on the lipid metabolism, through the plasma lipid profile, liver function and concentrations of fatty acids (FA), cholesterol, and vitamin A in goat milk. Ten Carpathian goats were divided into two groups: one was fed the control diet (C) composed of alfalfa hay and concentrate, and the other was fed C diet supplemented with 93 g/day of HSO (4.7% of dry matter intake) for 31 days. The HSO supplementation did not modify plasma cholesterol, triglyceride or phospholipid concentrations, or the activities of alanine aminotransferase or γ-glutamyltransferase, but plasma total lipid concentration was increased. HSO supplementation had no effect on milk yield, but it increased milk fat and protein contents. HSO supplementation markedly altered milk FA composition, but had no effect on milk cholesterol or vitamin A concentrations. Changes in milk FA composition corresponded to a decrease in saturated de novo synthesized FA (10:0-16:0) and an increase in 4:0, 18:0, and polyunsaturated FA concentrations. Also, HSO supplementation strongly increased cis-9,trans-11-CLA and also trans-18:1 concentrations in milk fat. These findings suggest that HSO can be used to modify milk FA content with a putative positive effect on human health, without adversely affecting goat performance or health, except for a potential hyperlipidemic effect.