Introduction: On one hand, the cholesterol content and fatty acid composition of milk-based fats pose a nutritional challenge. On the other hand, these parameters can be considered as physicochemical specifications based on animal origin.
The aim of this study was to assess and compare the cholesterol content and fatty acid composition of sheep butter oil and cow butter oil.
Method and materials: In total, 10 samples of cow butter oil and 27 samples of sheep butter oil were selected randomly by a trained expert in 20 villages of Kermanshah province in Iran.
Cholesterol content was measured using the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system (Knauer Model, Germany) equipped with a UV detector to 205 nm.
Fatty acid composition was determined by direct trans-esterification also via the gas chromatography technique.
Results: The cholesterol content of sheep butter oil was significantly higher than cow butter oil, at 247.08±25.57 (mg/100 g) vs. 187.07±37.93 (mg/100 g). (P <0.001).
Also, this study showed that the saturated fatty acid (SFA) content of sheep butter oil was slightly higher than that of cow butter oil (64.64±3.10 vs. 62.94±3.03, P=0.088). The polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content in cow butter oil was significantly higher than that of sheep butter oil (3.55 ±0.193 vs. 2.89 ± 0.55, P<0.001). Based on the length of fatty acids, we found that the medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) content of sheep butter oil was significantly higher than cow butter oil, at 19.48±2.60 vs. 14.47±1
Conclusion: It is concluded that cow butter oil is better than sheep butter oil for human nutrition in terms of cholesterol content and fatty acid composition.
Regarding dietary guidelines, there is no serious worry about the cholesterol content and fatty acid composition of butter oil in moderate consumption, but it seems cow butter oil is more optimal than that of sheep.