Composition of Lipids of Cereal Forages as Related to Tetany in Cattle

Bohman, V.R. and Mayland, H.F. and Grunes, D.L. (1985) Composition of Lipids of Cereal Forages as Related to Tetany in Cattle. Proceedings, Western Section American Society of Animal Science. 36:468-471.

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Abstract

Forage samples were collected from mixed winter
wheat and rye (Triticum aestivum L. and Secale
cereale L.) pastures, from December through April
at El Reno, Oklahoma, while they were grazed by 32
mature cows to determine if the concentrations and
speciation of naturally occurring higher fatty acids
(HFA) in forage were related to the incidence of
tetany. Forage samples were analyzed for N, K,
aconitic acid, total lipids and total and individual
Cll to C18:3 HFA. Total HFA and lipid values were
high in the very immature forage, but these values
decreased as the winter season progressed. In early
March, these values increased sharply coinciding with
rapid forage growth and were near maximum on the day
(19 March) when tetany occurred in five cows. Forage
N concentrations were also maximum on that day and
then declined rapidly with time. A positive
correlation (P<.05),occurred between forage N, total
lipids, HFA, K, aconitic acid, and C18:3. A negative
correlation (P<.05) occurred between total
lipids and C18:2 and C16; HFA and C18:2, and between
C18:3 and C18:2 and C16. Aconitic acid and K were
also negatively correlated with C16 and C18:2.
Linolenic (C18:3) was the predominant fatty acid
(62 percent), followed by palmitic (C16 at 15 percent)
and linoleic (C18:2 at 10 percent). Other
fatty acids (C12, 14, 16:1, 18 and 18:1) constituted
the remaining 13 percent. The fatty acid composition
was similar to that reported in other gramineae
forages. It was concluded that the naturally
occurring HFA could be a factor in tetany of
grazing animals.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	0550
Additional Information:	Exact duplicate of NWISRL publication 620
Subjects:	Animal > Animal health Irrigated crops > Grass forage > Chemistry Irrigated crops > Small grain Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:52
Last Modified:	13 Jan 2017 21:50
Item ID:	437
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/437