Dietary supplementation of Saanen goats with dried licorice root modifies chemical and textural properties of dairy products

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of dietary integration with dried licorice root on the chemical-nutritional qualities of goat milk and cheeses. The study was conducted for 60 d, during which 30 Saanen goats were divided into 2 groups: a control group (CG) that received a standard diet and an experimental group (LG+) whose diet was supplemented with licorice. At the end of the study, milk samples were collected to determine chemicalnutritional compositions and fatty acid (FA) profiles. Cheeses produced with CG and LG+ bulk milk were analyzed for chemical-physical parameters after 3 (T3) and 30 (T30) d of ripening. A different FA profile and a significant increase in protein and casein were observed in LG+ milk samples compared with CG milk. Regarding cheeses, an increase of proteins and fat was found in LG+ cheeses, which also were harder, more elastic, and more gummy than the CG samples after both 3 and 30 d of ripening. A different protein profile was detected in the 2 groups without significant variations in casein fractions (α S2-casein and β-casein) during ripening. Moreover, greater oxidative stability was found in LG+ cheeses at both T3 and T30. Different families of volatile compounds were detected in T30 cheeses obtained from both groups. A significant reduction of octanoic acid and an increase in nonanal and ketones were found in LG+ T3 cheeses, whereas the LG+ T30 cheeses were characterized by a significant decrease of hexanoic acid an increase of 3-methyl-1-butanol and acetoin. We concluded that it is possible to assert that dietary integration with dried licorice root modified chemical and technological properties of goat cheeses, reducing lipid oxidation during ripening and inducing changes in texture that could improve consumer acceptability, although further studies are needed from this point of view.

Volatile Flavor Compounds in Cheese as Affected by Ruminant Diet

“…A similar behavior was also observed in other studies in which the ruminant diet was supplemented with plant matrices, which is particularly interesting from the biological point of view, due to the high content of bioactive compounds. Specifically, the reduction of butanoic and hexanoic acids in ripened cheeses was obtained by enriching the diet of Saanen goats with 1% of dried licorice root for 60 days [35], and by administering dietary grape pomace supplementation in lactating Friesian cows [34]. In contrary to the above reported, an increase in butanoic and hexanoic acid was evidenced in dairy products obtained from Friesian cows given dietary zinc supplementation.…”

“…Fresh and 30-day ripened Caciotta cheese ↓ Hexanoic acid [35] Organic zinc (Friesian cows) 30-day ripened Caciotta cheese ↑ Butanoic acid ↑ Hexanoic acid [36] 5-day stored Giuncata cheese [37] Extruded linseed (Saanen goats) 60-day ripened Caciotta cheese ↓ Dodecanoic acid [38] Aldehydes Organic zinc (Friesian cows) 120-day ripened Caciocavallo cheese ↑ Nonanal [39] Organic zinc (half-breed ewes)…”

“…Interestingly, lactones did not seem to undergo noteworthy variations in experimentations in which the diet of dairy goats and cows was supplemented with plant matrices such as linseed, licorice root, and grape by-products, rich in compounds credited of considerable interest from a biological point of view because of their well characterized anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties [34,35,38]. An exception to this consideration is found in the study conducted by Castellani et al [42], who administered to dairy cows a dietary supplementation of olive pomace, a by-product of the olive oil production, rich in fiber and unsaturated fatty acids.…”

Influence of Zinc Feeding on Nutritional Quality, Oxidative Stability and Volatile Profile of Fresh and Ripened Ewes’ Milk Cheese

“…Lipid peroxidation in Pecorino cheese was determined by evaluating the amount of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The analysis was performed in accordance with the procedure described by Bennato et al [20] with slight modifications. Five grams of frozen cheese were mixed, within 2 min of sample withdrawal from the freezer, with 500 µL of 0.1% of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT; Sigma Aldrich, Milan, Italy) in methanol to block the oxidation process.…”

Influence of Licorice Root Feeding on Chemical-Nutritional Quality of Cow Milk and Stracciata Cheese, an Italian Traditional Fresh Dairy Product

“…Moreover, additional studies conducted on sheep suggested the ability of licorice to modulate rumen fermentation if used as diet supplementation [9]. More recently, it has been demonstrated in goats that a dietary enrichment with fresh licorice roots (1% on dry matter) caused a reduction of somatic cell count (SCC), an increase in the protein component in milk with consequent improvement of technological properties, and an increase of the oxidative stability of ripened cheeses [10].…”