This study was carried out to assess the effect of using pasture combined with total mixed ration (TMR) on milk production and composition, fatty acid (FA) profiles, fat-soluble antioxidant content, and total milk antioxidant capacity (TAC). In addition, the effect of milk pasteurization and storage at 2 °C for 4 days, lipophilic antioxidants and TAC were assessed. Two homogeneous groups of Jersey cows (n = 8) were constituted, which were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments: TMR (without access to pasture), or partial mixed diet (pTMR: grazing 8 h/day + TMR indoors). To establish FA profiles and lipophilic antioxidants’ changes in milk during the grazing period, in case of the pTMR group the experimental period was spilt in three grazing periods: P₁ (May), P₂ (June), and P₃ (June/July). Milk yielded from cows having limited access on pasture (pTMR diet) showed an improved FA profile, with higher concentrations of FAs considered benefic for human health (vaccenic acid (VA), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), omega-3 FA (n-3 FA)) (p < 0.01) and a lower concentration of FAs with hypercholesterolemiant potential (C12:0, C14:0, and C16:0) (p < 0.05), compared to that of the TMR diet. This change in FA profile was correlated with improved sanogenous lipid indices of milk fat (n-6/n-3 FA atherogenic index and thrombogenic index). Milk yielded during the P₁ grazing period had higher concentrations of VA, CLA, and n-3 FA (p < 0.05) and lower concentrations of C14:0 and C16:0 (p < 0.01); it exhibited the best values for the main sanogenous fat lipid indices of fat. Moreover, pTMR milk showed a higher α-tocopherol, retinol, and β-carotene content (p < 0.05), positively correlated with TAC values in milk (P₁ ˃ P₂ ˃ P₃). By comparison, cows fed using the TMR diet yielded a higher quantity of milk (p < 0.05), but a lower fat and protein content (p < 0.01), and also a higher saturated FAs and n-6 FA content (p < 0.05) together with a lower concentration of lipophilic antioxidants in milk. Thermal treatment showed no effect on α-tocopherol and retinol content in milk, but their concentrations decreased during the storage, at the same time a TAC decrease. The results of this study prove the positive effect of using pasture combined with TMR on FA profiles, milk antioxidant content, and antioxidant capacity, with beneficial effects on nutrition and health in humans.

A ten-week study was conducted to investigate the effects of the dietary inclusion of HSC as a source of PUFAs together with a natural source of antioxidants such as DT or DTP on the performance of laying hens and egg quality, as well as the lipid profile, antioxidant content and oxidative stability of egg yolk before and after storage. A total of 96 laying hens (aged between 28 and 37 weeks) were divided into three groups of 32 birds each (eight replicate cages, four birds per cage) and were assigned randomly the following dietary treatments: a standard corn–soybean meal diet (C), a diet containing 20% hempseed cake and 4% dried whole tomato (HT) and a diet containing 20% hempseed cake and 4% dried tomato pomace (HTP). The incorporation of HSC and tomato waste (DT and DTP) into the diet of hens caused increases in feed intake (p < 0.05) and yolk color score without changing egg production, egg weight or feed conversion ratio (FCR). The HT and HTP diets ensured a lower content (p < 0.05) of cholesterol in the egg yolk but a higher content (p < 0.001) of n-3 FAs, especially of ALA (α-linolenic acid, 18:3n-3), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid, 20:5n-3) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, 22:6n-3), which allowed for an increase in the hypo-/hypercholesterolemic FA ratio and a reduction in the n-6/n-3 FA ratio and TI (thrombogenicity index) value compared to those of C eggs. In addition, the inclusion of DT or DTP in the diet of laying hens increased the antioxidant content in the yolk, which led to an increase in the oxidative stability of the yolk lipids, evidenced by a decrease in the concentrations of MDA (malondialdehyde) in fresh eggs and those stored for 30 days at 4 °C. DTP exerted the most desirable effects because the egg yolk had the most intense color, the highest contents of n-3 FAs and natural antioxidants and the best oxidative stability of yolk lipids before and after egg storage. It was concluded that the simultaneous enrichment of the diet of laying hens with n-3 FAs and natural antioxidants (carotenoids, tocopherols and phenols), in addition to improving the color of the yolk, leads to eggs with a higher content of n-3 FAs and antioxidants, improved antioxidant activity and better PUFA stability during egg storage.

We aimed to evaluate the effects of milled rapeseed (MR) supplementation of low- or high-concentrate diets on milk production and composition, fatty acids (FAs) profile, and antioxidant capacity. Sixteen Jersey dairy cows were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design, for four periods of 4 weeks, and assigned to four treatments as a 2 × 2 factorial design. Dietary treatments consisted of iso-nitrogenated total mixed rations with high (65:35; LC—low concentrate) or low (50:50; HC—high concentrate) forage:concentrate (FC) ratios, supplemented with MR to provide 30 g oil/kg dry matter (DM) (LR and HR), or without MR supplement (L and H). Increasing the proportion of concentrates led to an increase in DM intake (DMI), net energy (NE_L) intake, and milk production, but milk fat and protein content decreased. Supplementing diets with MR led to an increase in NE_L intake and milk production, but did not affect DMI and milk composition. Diets supplemented with MR caused a decrease in the concentration of FAs with atherogenic effect and the increase in the level of FAs beneficial for human health (C18:1 cis-9, C18:1 trans-11, and C18:3 n-3), while the decrease in the FC ratio had a negative effect on omega-3 FAs. An improvement in the antioxidant capacity of milk was observed with diets with the high FC ratio but also by supplementing the feed with MR. These results could contribute to the development of effective strategies to improve the nutritional quality of milk without affecting the productive performance of cows.