Lipolysis and the distribution of lipase activity in bovine milk in relation to stage of lactation and time of milking

SUMMARYThe increase in levels of free fatty acids (FFA) in morning and afternoon milk after 48 h cold storage at 5 °C was determined at two stages of lactation in milk from 96 cows. Lipolysis was positively correlated to day of lactation (r = 0·6, P < 0·001), while the correlations between lipolysis and milk yield and fat content respectively were due to these factors being related to day of lactation. In afternoon milk the level of FFA increased almost three times above that in morning milk. Lipolysis was closely related to the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity associated with the cream fraction (r = 0·8, P < 0·001). Afternoon milk had higher LPL activity in the cream fraction than morning milk. Lipase activity in the cream increased with increasing stage of lactation. Cooling of milk increased LPL activity associated with the fat phase. This effect was greater in afternoon milk from late lactation than in morning milk from early lactation. When heparin was added to milk the LPL activity associated with the fat increased substantially; again, this effect was greater in afternoon milk from late lactation than in morning milk from early lactation. Lipolysis was higher in heparinized milk than in normal milk, and there was a close correlation between lipolysis and LPL activity associated with the fat (r = 0·82, P < 0·001). Characteristics of the milk fat globule influencing the attraction of LPL were found to be fundamentally important to lipolysis.