INFLUENCE OF LOCAL BREEDS NAJDI AND AWASSI ON FATTY ACID COMPOSITION AND LIPID QUALITY OF DAIRY SHEEP IN SAUDI ARABIA.

The breed of dairy sheep is an important factor affecting milk quality. The aim of this study is to identify the fatty acids (FA) and indices of lipid quality of milk fat in two indigenous Saudi sheep breeds. In this study, thirty-one multiparous ewes of Najdi (n=16) and Awassi (n=15) were examined. The breeds were kept under identical conditions and provided with the same feed (alfalfa hay and commercial pellets). After weaning at 9 to 12 weeks, ewes were milked twice daily until the end of lactation. Duplicate samples were taken from each ewe at weeks 9 and 10 for analysis of FA using a GC mass spectrometer. The collected data were analyzed using the SAS 9.4 program as a general liner modal (GLM) method. Najdi ewes produced more milk than Awassi ewes (0.75 vs. 0.63 L/day; P ≤ 0.01), while milk components were not influenced by breed. The milk fat of Awassi ewes had higher content of saturated fatty acids (SFA: 59.2%), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA: 35.9%), and polyunsaturated fatty acid, (PUFA: 5.06%). Compared to the Najdi breed, the milk from Awassi ewes had a higher of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), content with values of 0.72% compared to 0.56% in the milk of Najdi ewes.The atherogenic and thrombogenic indices of milk fat varied between 1.52% and 1.79% with sufficiently low values (less than 3%). The milk fat of the Awassi breed had a higher omega-3 (n3) ratio (0.94 vs. 0.54%), a lower n6/n3 ratio (3.77 vs. 7.39%) and a lower Hypocholesterolemia index value (33.6 vs. 36.9%) compared to Najdi's milk fat. These results showed that breed had a significant impact on milk quality, particularly essential fatty acids (CLA and ALA). The importance of selecting the Awassi breed in sheep breeding for the production of the milk with a slightly more favorable FA and lipid quality. This milk can potentially contribute to a healthier diet and improve the overall well-being of consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]