Goats’ Feeding Supplementation with Acacia farnesiana Pods and Their Relationship with Milk Composition: Fatty Acids, Polyphenols, and Antioxidant Activity

Abstract

Simple SummaryThe study aimed to describe the fatty acids, polyphenols, and antioxidant activity of goat’s milk from five different feeding systems: Grazing; conventional diet; and conventional diet supplemented with 10, 20, and 30 percent of Acacia farnesiana pods. Conventional diet showed the highest content of polyunsaturated fatty acids while grazing showed the healthiest fatty acid profile. Similarly, grazing and A. farnesiana boosted the polyphenol content. A. farnesiana pod meal inclusion in the goats’ diets increased the selective presence of bioactive compounds and the antioxidant activity of goat’s milk while cholesterol content was reduced.AbstractBackground: Research efforts have focused on the evaluation of the bioactive quality of animal products (milk, cheese, meat, and other by-products) contrasting various feeding strategies coming from different ecological zones. The study aimed to describe the fatty acids (FA), polyphenols (P), bioactive compounds (BC), and antioxidant activity (AA) of goat’s milk. Methods: Dairy goats were fed with five systems: (1) Grazing; (2) conventional diet (CD); (3) CD + 10% of Acacia farnesiana (AF) pods; (4) CD + 20% AF; and (5) CD + 30% AF. The fatty acid profile, health promoting and thrombogenic indexes were calculated. Milk extracts were evaluated by HPLC to determent phenolic compounds (gallic, caffeic, chlorogenic, and ferulic acids, catechin, epicatechin, and quercetin). Antioxidant activity of goat’s milk extract was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Results: Conventional diet showed the highest content of polyunsaturated fatty acids while grazing showed the best n-6:n-3 and the linoleic:alpha linolenic acid ratio. Similarly, grazing and AF boosted the polyphenol content. Conclusions: Acacia farnesiana inclusion in the goats’ diets increased the presence of bioactive compounds and the antioxidant activity while diminishing the cholesterol content of goat’s milk.

Goat’s Milk Intake Prevents Obesity, Hepatic Steatosis and Insulin Resistance in Mice Fed A High-Fat Diet by Reducing Inflammatory Markers and Increasing Energy Expenditure and Mitochondrial Content in Skeletal Muscle

“…Thus, the handling and variety of food provided to goats (grazing, organic feeding, strategic supplementation, etc.) determines the quality of milk [10]. Accordingly, we have demonstrated that in dairy goats, grazing management increases the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids of milk with respect to goats fed a conventional diet.…”

“…The majority of studies involving dairy products have been conducted using cow's milk. We and others have shown that goat's milk is also a rich source of nutrients and bioactive compounds [10]. However, there is scarce evidence regarding the effect of goat's milk on health [11].…”

“…Accordingly, we have demonstrated that in dairy goats, grazing management increases the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids of milk with respect to goats fed a conventional diet. Moreover, inclusion of Acacia farnesiana (AF) pods boosted the polyphenol content and increased the n−3:n−6 fatty acids ratio [10], improving the quality and functional potential of milk. Nevertheless, whether the different quality of the milk is reflected on health benefits during metabolic challenges such as a high-fat (HF) diet has not been explored.…”

Grand Challenges in Product Quality

“…The nutritional composition and the presence of bioactive components naturally or strategically added to animal feeding and products is another relevant factor that must be considered in the context of quality. Improving animal feeding (Jiang and Xiong, 2016;Delgadillo-Puga et al, 2019) or reformulating meat (Munekata et al, 2020) and dairy (Alenisan et al, 2017) products are the most successful approaches. In this sense, secondary metabolites (especially polyphenols, terpenes, alkaloids, phytosterols, and isothiocyanates) of plant tissues are the most studied and one of the most relevant components to produce healthier animal products due to their antimicrobial and antioxidant activity.…”

“…Searching and studying the effect of new and alternative feeding components comprise an important strategy to naturally enhance the quality, have additional characteristics and facilitate the progression of animal food production systems toward more sustainable practices. Improving the diet of animals can lead to relevant deposition or transmission of bioactive components to animal food products (Jiang and Xiong, 2016;Delgadillo-Puga et al, 2019). In the same line of thought, the reformulation (reducing and/or replacing certain components) of conventional animal food products is the main approach by taking into account the relation between health concerns and the composition of animal food products.…”