Oilseed supplementation is a strategy to improve milk production and milk composition in dairy cows; however, the response to this approach is inconsistent. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oilseed supplementation on milk production and milk composition in dairy cows via a meta-analysis and meta-regression. A comprehensive and structured search was performed using the following electronic databases: Google Scholar, Primo-UAEH and PubMed. The response variables were: milk yield (MY), atherogenic index (AI), Σ omega-3 PUFA, Σ omega-6 PUFA, fat, protein, lactose, linoleic acid (LA), linolenic acid (LNA), oleic acid (OA), vaccenic acid (VA), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) and saturated fatty acid (SFA) contents. The explanatory variables were breed, lactation stage (first, second, and third), oilseed type (linseed, soybean, rapeseed, cottonseed, and sunflower), way (whole, extruded, ground, and roasted), dietary inclusion level, difference of the LA, LNA, OA, forage and NDF of supplemented and control rations, washout period and experimental design. A meta-analysis was performed with the “meta” package of the statistical program R. A meta-regression analysis was applied to explore the sources of heretogeneity. The inclusion of oilseeds in dairy cow rations had a positive effect on CLA (+0.27 g 100 g−1 fatty acids (FA); p < 0.0001), VA (+1.03 g 100 g−1 FA; p < 0.0001), OA (+3.44 g 100 g−1 FA; p < 0.0001), LNA (+0.28 g 100 g−1 FA; p < 0.0001) and UFA (+8.32 g 100 g−1 FA; p < 0.0001), and negative effects on AI (−1.01; p < 0.0001), SFA (−6.51; p < 0.0001), fat milk (−0.11%; p < 0.001) and protein milk (−0.04%; p < 0.007). Fat content was affected by animal breed, lactation stage, type and processing of oilseed and dietary NDF and LA contents. CLA, LA, OA and UFA, desirable FA milk components, were affected by type, processing, and the intake of oilseed; additionally, the concentrations of CLA and VA are affected by washout and design. Oilseed supplementation in dairy cow rations has a positive effect on desirable milk components for human consumption. However, animal response to oilseed supplementation depends on explanatory variables related to experimental design, animal characteristics and the type of oilseed.

In Mexico, information on goat production is scarce and documenting goat production challenges and future perspectives could be of great value, not only for Latin America, but also for international players – including those from farms, industry, and academia. Therefore, the objective of this review is to provide current knowledge on goat production systems in Mexico and discuss current challenges and future perspectives for this animal production sector. In Mexico, more than 70% of goats are produced under extensive production systems in arid and semi-arid areas and roughly 25% are produced in intensive or semi-intensive systems. Main breeds are French Alpine, Saanen, Toggenburg, LaMancha, Nubian, Boer, and their crosses. The main challenges are correlated at different levels, where economic, social, and environmental issues are mixed and are closely associated with goat health and welfare. Newly available farming technologies could be an option that should be explored. Mexican goat farming systems will need to look at the animal, social, and environmental factors to promote sustainable production systems.

This study determined productive performance, ruminal fermentation kinetics and rumen ciliate protozoa in hair sheep lambs fed different levels of olive oil. Twenty-four growing lambs were used, with an initial live weight of 10.5 ± 2.9 kg, and randomly assigned into four treatments (six animals per treatment) containing increasing levels of extra virgin olive oil (0, 2, 4 and 6% of dry matter). Animals were fed for 80 days, and sampling was carried out weekly. Intake of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and metabolizable energy (ME) differed between treatments (p < 0.05), with a linear and cubic tendency to decrease when oil concentrations were increased. Digestibility coefficients of OM, CP and NDF were not affected; however, the relationship between total intake and nutrient digestibility (DM, OM, NDF, ADF) increased with 2% DM olive oil. Compared with all treatments, the concentration of propionic acid increased by 16% with 4% olive oil. The intake of olive oil did not affect the protozoa population and live weight gain. Overall, the inclusion of olive oil in low concentrations (2% of DM) positively influences feed intake and nutrient digestibility in hair sheep lambs.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of high-intensity ultrasound (HIU) on the physicochemical and textural properties of meat from Rararumi Criollo, a Mexican autochthonous bovine breed. After slaughter, Longissimus dorsi and Triceps brachii muscles were separated from carcasses, cut into 2.5 cm slices and treated with HIU, except the control group, which was not sonicated. After treatment, samples were vacuum-sealed and stored at 4 °C for 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 d. HIU increased (p < 0.05) the luminosity and yellowness (b*) of meat. Higher b* (p < 0.05) was observed in L. dorsi than in T. brachii muscles. No effect (p > 0.05) of HIU was detected on drip loss, pH, the water holding capacity and the total collagen of meat. The shear force of HIU-treated meat was lower (p < 0.05) than control samples, indicating a tenderizing effect. There were differences between muscles. L. dorsi was more tender (p < 0.05), and it had higher pH and WHC values than T. brachii. Overall, HIU is a potential method for tenderizing Raramuri Criollo cattle meat without negative impacts on other quality characteristics. HIU is an emerging technology that could add value to indigenous breeds and provide a new opportunity for the growing meat market.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of berberine (BBR) supplementation on productivity, antioxidant markers, and the fatty acid (FA) profile in the colostrum and milk of goats. Twenty-four primiparous Saanen goats were supplemented with 0, 1, 2, and 4 g/d (per goat) of BBR in control (CON), BBR1, BBR2, and BBR4 groups (n = 6 per group), respectively, from 21 days before expected kidding to 21 days after parturition. Blood sampling was carried out at −21, −14, −7, 0, 7, 14, and 21 d relative to delivery. Colostrum was collected within the first and second milking (d 1 of lactation), and milk was harvested weekly after kidding. Both BBR2 and BBR4 increased dry matter intake (DMI) (p ≤ 0.05) and energy balance (EB) as well as colostrum and milk production. Both BBR2 and BBR4 decreased (p ≤ 0.05) plasma levels of cholesterol, haptoglobin, and ceruloplasmin, while elevating the plasma albumin and paraoxonase (p ≤ 0.05), which may indicate that BBR mitigates inflammation during the transition period. BBR reduced (p ≤ 0.05) malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased (p ≤ 0.05) total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) in blood, colostrum, and milk. Concentrations of de novo fatty acid in colostrum and milk were increased (p ≤ 0.05) with both BBR2 and BBR4. Free fatty acid (FFA) concentration in colostrum and milk fat were lower (p ≤ 0.05) in BBR2 and BBR4 compared to CON. The concentration of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) in colostrum and milk fat increased (p ≤ 0.05) with BBR2 and BBR4, while unsaturated fatty acids (USFAs) decreased (p ≤ 0.05) in milk. In summary, supplementation with at least 2 g/d BBR may enhance the EB and antioxidant status of dairy goats.

The objective of this study was to determine the extraction yield, the content of bioactive compounds and in vitro antioxidant activity of different extracts from Moringa oleifera (MO) leaves, and their potential use as a natural feed additive for ruminant diets. For the preparation of MO extracts, three treatments were used: (1) MO extract in distilled water (MOEW, 0%), (2) ethanol-water (MOEEW, 50%) and (3) absolute ethanol (MOEE, 100%). The extraction yield and the antioxidant activity measured with the DPPH assay in the MO extracts were higher for MOEW and MOEEW. From all treatments, MOEEW had the highest antioxidant activity evaluated with the ABTS assay and showed a higher content of bioactive compounds. On the other hand, the principal component analysis showed that the first two principal components explained 96.5% of the variability of the data. The variables that contributed to the greatest variation were condensed tannins (CT), total phenolic compounds (TPC), total flavonoids (TF), and extraction yield. A high correlation (p ≤ 0.001) was observed between TPC and extraction yield with r2 = 0.989. The content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity was higher in the MOEEW extract; therefore, its inclusion in ruminant diets can be suggested to potentially improve their productivity and product quality.

This study determined the effect of feeding Moringa oleifera (MO) leaf extracts to lactating ewes on the physicochemical composition of their milk and yogurt during storage (4 °C for 14 days) and the sensory acceptance of the yogurt. Over 45 days, 24 multiparous lactating Pelibuey and Katahdin ewes (two days in lactation) were randomly assigned to four groups: MO-0, basal diet (BD) + 0 mL MO; MO-20, BD + 20 mL MO; MO-40, BD + 40 mL MO; and MO-60, BD + 60 mL MO. In the milk, an increase of 6% in protein, 26% in leucine, 14% in ash, and 1% in the pH (6.71) was observed with MO-60. The density values decreased by 0.3% at a higher dose of MO compared to MO-0, while the nonfat solids (NFS) in the milk were similar between the treatments. In the yogurt, an increase of 5% in protein, 113% in leucine (MO-20), 9% in NFS, and a reduction of 2% in moisture with MO-60 was observed. The acidity reflected an inverse relationship to the pH, as did the moisture and NFS with MO-60. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with MO in lactating ewes did not have negative effects on the chemical composition of their yogurt during storage (14 days). Overall, feeding sheep with 20 mL of MO positively influenced the physicochemical composition of their milk and yogurt during storage.

This study aimed to determine the influence of ultrasound (3 vs. 15 min) and inulin (1% vs. 2% w/v) on the functional and sensory properties of whey‐oat beverages. The treatments were identified as I1‐U3, I2‐U3, I1‐U15, and I2‐U15 referring to the inulin (I) percentage (1 or 2%) and the ultrasound (U) time (min), respectively. The acidity of whey and oat solutions decreased (p < .05) during storage while the antioxidant activity increased without effect on angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitory (ACEI) activity. The whey‐oat beverage with the highest antioxidant and ACEI activities was I1‐U15. The beverages with inulin and ultrasound application were more accepted than the control beverage. Overall, the greatest outcomes were observed in the beverage containing 1% w/v inulin and 15 min ultrasound. Whey, oat, and inulin are potential ingredients that confer functional properties for the formulation of value‐added beverages. Ultrasound technology can be a strategy to improve the functional properties of whey‐oat beverages. Practical applications Ultrasound is a green, versatile, and non‐thermal technology with an ample scope for development and commercialization in beverage processing industries. The use of ultrasound and inulin addition yielded in a whey‐oat beverage with enhanced bioactive properties on cold storage. The synergistic effect of a whey‐oat matrix added with inulin and treated with ultrasound has clearly evidenced its benefits in the design of new functional whey‐oat‐based beverages to be marketed as healthy, fast, and convenient supplementary foods.