Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentration, fatty acid composition and cholesterol content of some Turkish dairy products

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentrations, fatty acid composition and cholesterol content of some Turkish dairy products (butter, processed cheese, Kaymak and cream) were determined by capillary gas chromatography. The CLA and cholesterol content of some Turkish dairy products ranged from 1.50-5.60 mg/g fat and 148.30-369.04 mg/g fat, respectively. The most abundant saturated fatty acids in the dairy products investigated were palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0) and myristic acid (C14:0). In all dairy products, C18:1 cis-9, 12 unsaturated fatty acid content (23.12-32.78 g/100 g) was considerably higher than others. In all samples studied, there was no correlation between CLA content of products and the linoleic acid content, or any other unsaturated fatty acid. A positive correlation between cholesterol and fat content of dairy products was observed.