Triacylglycerols, fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acids in Italian Mozzarella di Bufala Campana cheese

Water buffalo Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, a protected designation of origin (PDO) cheese that complies with European Union legislation, has shown potential nutritional value for its conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content. In the current study, triacylglycerols (TAGs) and fatty acids (FAs) in commercial samples of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana were characterized over a 1-year period. The distribution of TAGs represented by CN, where N equals the number of carbon atoms, ranged between N = 24 and N = 56. The TAG and FA pattern in Mozzarella di Bufala Campana was similar to the pattern of the parent milk and the bovine counterparts. The data acquired over four seasons showed a significant difference between winter-spring and summer-autumn water buffalo milk fat composition. Using high-resolution gas chromatography, a cis9-trans11 C18:2 isomer was found to represent approximately 80% of the total CLA fraction.