A preliminary study of the relationships between echotextural characteristics of the mammary gland and chemical composition of milk during early lactation in ewes

Abstract This study aimed to examine the ultrasonographic characteristics of mammary gland in post-partum ewes (1 4 weeks after lambing) varying genotypes for correlations with chemical composition milk. Ultrasonograms glands coronal (C) and sagittal (S) planes were obtained using 5.0- 7.5-MHz transducers from four Polish Mountain (PMt) six Olkuska (Olk) ewes. Computerized image analyses all images have been performed determine pixel intensity (numerical values-NPV) heterogeneity (pixel standard deviation-PSD) stroma/parenchyma. In PMt examined 5.0-MHz probe, mean NPV-C correlated negatively C17:0 (margaric acid) C17:1 c10 (heptadecenoic acid). Furthermore, NPV-S content transducer, positively crude fat total solids, C18:3 c9, c12, c15 (n-3) (α-linoleic milk samples, while PSD-S C16:0 (palmitic lactose. scans Olk sheep, was directly related C10:1 (decanoic acid), C14:1 (myristoleic C16:1 iso (iso-hexadecanoic c9 (palmitoleic C18:0 (stearic content; PSD-C C14:1, C15:0, C16:0, iso, CLA (conjugated linoleic acids), saturated fatty acid content, C18:1 c11 (n-7) (cis-vaccenic C18:2 c9,c12 (n-6) (linoleic polyunsaturated milk; ash Lastly, recorded probe C12:0 (lauric acid); iso; (SFA) SFA. Echotextural attributes makings technique determining certain constituents a breed-specific manner; however, further studies are needed verify usefulness echotextural udder consistently predict complete composition.