Sodium nitrate has no detrimental effect on milk fatty acid profile and rumen bacterial population in water buffaloes

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Table 3 Effects of different inclusion rate of sodium nitrate on dry matter intake, milk yield and milk composition in water buffaloes

Item	Sodium nitrate, g/kg body weight				SE	P
Item	0	0.11	0.22	0.44	SE	P
DMI (kg/day)	13.66	13.08	13.06	14.08	0.24	0.389
Methaemoglobin, (MHB, %)	14.52	14.05	15.09	14.48	0.35	0.795
Milk yield (kg/day)	7.10	7.01	7.44	8.01	0.48	0.899
Protein (%)	4.68	4.55	4.75	4.67	0.04	0.348
Fat (%)	8.54^ab	8.01^a	9.43^b	8.95^ab	0.15	0.008
Total solid content (%)	19.94^ab	19.31^a	20.90^b	20.31^ab	0.18	0.016
Lactose (%)	5.26^a	5.38^b	5.20^a	5.24^a	0.02	0.016