Antioxidative activity of milk from cows fed herbs

This experiment was done to examine theffects of herb feeding on antioxidat ive activity in milk. Four Holstein cows in late lactation were fed for 14 days 1) basal diet consising of 43% hay, 14% beet pulp, and 43% concentrate s mixture, 2) basal diet + lemongrass, 3) basal diet + peppermint, and 4) b asal diet + basil in 94 x 4 Latin square design. Feeding amount of basal di et and each herb was 21 kg and 1 kg per day, respectively. Milk samples wer e collected one day before the last day and on the last day of each period. 6-Hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid (HTCA) equivalent c oncentrations were used as a parameter of antioxidative activity. HTCA equi valent concentrations in milk of the cows in control, lemongrass, peppermin t, and basil treatment were 1.40 (mol/L), 2.05, 2.39, and 2.21, respectivel y. The HTCA equivalent concentration in milk was significantly higher in th e peppermint treatment group than in the control as judged from Turkey's st udent test.