Effects of mountain grassland maturity stage and grazing management on carotenoids in sward and cow's milk

Carotenoids are involved in the sensorial and nutritional values of dairy products. In grazing systems, both herbage maturity stage and grazing management may affect the amount of carotenoid ingested, thus these factors may affect carotenoid concentrations in milk. Two homogenous plots of mountain grassland (1.4 and 2.0 ha) were grazed during two cycles of growth by 6 dairy cows in mid lactation, in strip (SG) and rotational grazing (RG), respectively. We monitored the changes in carotenoid concentrations in sward and milk, measured by HPLC twice a week. Seven carotenoids were identified in the sward: violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, epilutein, lutein, zeaxanthin, ß-carotene and 13-cis ß-carot…