Porcine colostrum lipid classes and fatty acids (FA) were characterized in 6 pools (from 69 samples) from 3 sow breeds (Italian Large White, Italian Landrace, and Italian Duroc) and different parity orders (only Large White). Triacylglycerols (TAG; 94.44 expressed as g/100 g of fat) were the most abundant lipid class, followed by diacylglycerols (DAG; 3.36 g/100 g of fat), free fatty acids (FFA; 0.98 g/100 g of fat), and cholesterol (0.84 g/100 g of fat). The main FAs found in swine colostrum were palmitic (27.29%, expressed as g/100 g of total FA), oleic (28.81%), and linoleic (23.39%) acids. Both the breed of sow and parity order affected the FA and lipid composition. The results suggest that the FA composition of swine colostrum is similar to that of human colostrum and could represent a new source of nutrients for human infants, after further assessment of hygienic and quality aspects. The swine model could be an opportunity for a better understanding of colostrum effects on newborns.
Keywords: breeding; colostrum; fatty acids; lipids; parity order; swine.