Identification of Lipid Biomarkers To Discriminate between the Different Production Systems for Asiago PDO Cheese

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 2017-11, Vol.65 (45), p.9887-9892
• Main Authors: Segato, Severino, Galaverna, Gianni, Contiero, Barbara, Berzaghi, Paolo, Caligiani, Augusta, Marseglia, Angela, Cozzi, Giulio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animals; Biomarkers - analysis; Cattle - metabolism; Cheese - analysis; Discriminant Analysis; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Female; Milk - chemistry; Milk - metabolism; Silage - analysis; Vitamin A - analysis; Vitamin A - metabolism; Zea mays - chemistry; Zea mays - metabolism
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b03629

The lipid fraction of Asiago Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese was analyzed to identify specific biomarkers of its main production systems through a canonical discriminant analysis. The three main production systems of the cheese were considered. Two were located in the upland (UL): pasture-based (P-UL) vs hay-based total mixed rations (H-UL). The third was located in the lowland (LL) and processed milk from cows fed maize silage-based rations (maize silage lowland: MS-LL). The discriminant analysis selected nine fatty acids and vitamin A as lipid biomarkers useful to separate the three production systems. High contents of conjugated linoleic acids, anteiso-C15:0, and vitamin A were discriminant factors for P-UL cheese. The separation between H-UL and MS-LL cheese was less marked with the former having the higher content of conjugated linoleic acids and some polyunsaturated n-6 fatty acids and with the latter being identified by cyclopropane fatty acid and C9:0.