Amer Abughazaleh (South Dakota State University)
Don Beitz (Iowa State University)
Tom Jenkins (Clemson University)
Cindie Luhman (Land O’Lakes/Farmland, Fort Dodge, IA
Ron Pardini (Administrative Advisor, Univ. of Nevada-Reno)
Paul Porter (Land O’Lakes/Farmland, Fort Dodge, IA)
David Schingoethe (South Dakota State University)
Bev Teter (University of Maryland)
Henry Tyrrell (National Program Leader, USDA/CSREES, Washington, D.C.)

Tyrrell provided an update on agricultural issues in Congress. He described the regional project system to us and reminded us that 25% of Hatch allocations are used to fund approved regional projects. Of these regional funds, greater than 90% are used for salaries. Approximate allocation toward disciplines is > 4X for human research, 4X for animal science research, 2X for plant science research, and X for social science research. Tyrrell announced to everyone’s chagrin that this meeting will be the last time he attends because of his impending retirement. He plans to move south of D.C.—perhaps Florida or Alabama. Tyrrell announced that colleagues Bill Wagner and Dick Frahm also are retiring from CSREES and that Gary Cromwell of the University of Kentucky will fill in to about 25% of his time. The group had an extended discussion about future leadership in the CSREES, the NRI competitive grants program, and the land grant system.

Chair Bev Teter called the meeting to order at 8:25 a.m. Each attendee introduced herself or himself. Ron Pardini, our administrative advisor, gave us a genuine welcome to the University of Nevada. He expressed concern about the poor attendance, and some of the reasons such as late approval of the meeting were discussed. Pardini reminded us that our project expires in September of 2004. Therefore, we were encouraged to initiate discussions of objectives for the renewal project. He encouraged us to put more emphasis on impacts, what has been done, and why we work together. To meet our renewal deadline, we need to have a rewrite completed by March 2004, which is the scheduled meeting of the Western Regional Directors.

The minutes of the 2002 annual meeting were approved with minor changes in spelling.

Firkins has been studying biohydrogenation in the rumen. Specifically, he has studied the reduction and isomerization of elaidic (and oleic acids) to monoenoic acids and stearic acid. Additionally, he and his colleagues have studied the biohydrogenation of linoleamide and its effects on linoleic acid concentration in duodenal contents of sheep. Other studies were a comparison of amide and calcium salt derivatives of linoleic acid on linoleic acid concentration in digesta, blood, and milk of Holstein cows.

Beitz and his colleagues have studied the response of cows that produce a more saturated fat and those that produce a more unsaturated fat to diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. They used fish oil and soy oil in roasted soybeans as the source of supplemental fat and studied the properties of butter prepared from the resulting different milks. The bottom line of their research is that natural variation and nutritional manipulation of fatty acid composition of bovine milk provides the possibility of selecting or causing cows to produce a more healthful milk that produces a more spreadable butter.

Luhman and Porter reported on research in which they were studying the effect of different dietary fats (proprietary protection) on fatty acid composition including the different trans fatty acids of milk and the spreadability of butter. They noted that spreadability of butter is not only dependent on the percentage of unsaturated fatty acids in the milk fat but also dependent on the location of the unsaturated fatty acids on the glycerol moiety of the triacylglycerol. They also studied the use of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to estimate degree of unsaturation of milk fat quickly and accurately.

Schingoethe and Abughazaleh determined that optimal concentrations of trans-vaccenic acid (TVA) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in the rumen for maximal CLA in milk can be obtained with as little as 0.33% fish oil in a diet that contains supplemental extruded soybeans. Fish oil is thought to inhibit the ruminal hydrogenate of TVA to stearate. Also, TVA and CLA content was increased most when the supplemental fat in addition to the fish oil was rich in linoleic acid. The greater CLA because of fish oil is likely the result of increased supply of TVA at the mammary gland. In another study of cheese yield from Holstein and Brown Swiss milks, the Brown Swiss milk yielded greater amounts of cheese per milk volume. Also, curd formation required less time and the curd was firmer from the Brown Swiss milk.

Teter and her colleagues continued to study the transfer of dietary CLA and other trans fatty acids as calcium salts to the myriad of isomers of CLA in milk fat. They observed a significant milk fat depression (0.85%) when cows were fed daily 100/g of CLA as a calcium salt. Another focus has been to use mice as models for the metabolic effect of dietary CLA. They observed that trans 10, cis 12 CLA increases heat production and that the CLA seemed to increase the volume of peroxisomes and total lipid in liver.

The group discussed the fact that our project requires renewal during early 2004. These items were put forth for consideration.

1. The renewal project should include a greater emphasis on extension of research to clientele. Thus, we need to include more “extension” people to join the group.
2. These emerging dairy issues were stated for consideration in the renewal:

3. Development of a symposium that integrates milk production practices with qualities of common dairy foods. Such a symposium could include topics related to:

4. Are objectives of current project appropriate for renewal project. A consensus was that more emphases on studies in improve health-promoting properties of dairy foods should be developed.
5. Ron Pardini reminded us that the web site of < http://www.lgu.umd.edu  > should be used for “electronic” proposal writing.

The group had the privilege to learn about the successful research program of Ron Pardini on the nutritional intervention with fat rich in omega-3 fatty acids for treatment of cancer. He has been studying the effect of different fatty acids on growth of a model cancer cell culture. One finding that seems very promising for adoption is the inhibition of cancer cell growth by docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). He presented a testimonial of his neighbor friend that amazed all of us. The neighbor had a type of terminal cancer reversed by use of DHA supplements without the use of the usual chemotherapeutic protocol. He mentioned other testimonials of friends and relatives who died or are suffering from cancer who use(d) supplemental DHA or fish oil to slow growth of cancer. Many of us were left with the thoughts of reinitiating the practice of taking our cod liver oil supplement with breakfast for benefits to personal health.

The group initiated discussion of developing a list of impacts or findings from W-181 regional research. We request that each member of the regional project assist the writing team (Bev Teter, Tom Jenkins, and Don Beitz) in developing this list. Henry Tyrrell will send the previous five annual reports and minutes to the writing team for summarization. As a starter, these impacts were voiced:

1. Nutritional manipulation can impact CLA content of milk.
2. Nutritional manipulation can increase oleic acid content and decrease saturated fatty acid content of milk.
3. Fatty acid content of milk fat is regulated partly by genetic mechanisms.
4. Milk from cows of different breeds differ in CLA content.
5. Feeding fish oil at low dosages does not have negative effects on taste of dairy foods.
6. CLA-enriched butter has anticancer effects.
7. Diet can be manipulated to alter melting point and spreadability of butter.
8. FTIR spectroscopy may be a tool to relatively quickly estimate degree of unsaturation of milk fat.
9. Trans-vaccenic acid is a precursor of CLA.
10. Feeding CLA may have positive impact on cows in negative energy balance by causing milk fat depression.
11. Pasture feeding increases CLA content of milk.

Tom Jenkins will coordinate a meeting time of W-181 members in Phoenix to continue discussion of the W-181 renewal.

The group selected Thursday January 8 (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and Friday January 9 (8 a.m. – 12 noon) as the meeting time for the 2004 annual meeting of the W-181 committee. Ron Pardini agreed to host the committee again in Reno, NV.

Don Beitz agreed to prepare the minutes of the 2003 meeting. 

Bev Teter will prepare the annual report. 

Sharon Franklin will be asked and has agreed to serve as secretary at the 2004 annual meeting. 

To each of you members, if you have not yet provided an annual report for 2003, please send the report to Bev Teter at your earliest convenience for inclusion in the 2003 annual report.