Effect of Herbal Feed Additives on Goat Milk Volatile Flavor Compounds.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of herbal supplements administered to goats on sensory quality and volatile flavor compounds in their milk. The experiment was conducted on sixty Polish white improved goats randomly allocated into five feeding groups (four experimental and one control) of twelve goats each. The trial lasted 12 weeks. The experimental animals received supplements containing a mixture of seven or nine different species of herbs at 20 or 40 g/animal/day. The control group received feed without any herbal supplements. Milk obtained from experimental and control groups of animals was characterized by a low content of aroma compounds, with only 11 chemical compounds being identified. Decanoic methyl ester, methylo 2-heptanone and methylo-butanoic methyl ester had the highest share in the total variability of the tested aroma compounds (PCA). During the sensory evaluation, the smell and taste of most of the samples were similar (p > 0.05). However, the addition of herbal feed supplements lowered the concentration of Caproic acid (C6:0), Caprylic acid (C8:0) and Capric acid (C10:0), which caused a significant reduction in the goaty smell of milk. The obtained results indicate that the studied herbal supplements can reduce the intensity of goaty smell and allow goat milk production without modification of other sensory features.

The Effect of Herbal Feed Additives in the Diet of Dairy Goats on Intestinal Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) Count.

Sixty dairy goats of the Polish white improved breed were randomly assigned to five feeding groups of twelve animals each. The animals received a supplement containing seven herbs at 20 or 40 g/animal/day (experimental groups 1 and 2) and a supplement containing nine herbs at 20 or 40 g/animal/day (experimental groups 3 and 4)m, along with pelleted concentrate feed. Group 5 (the control group) received pelleted feed without any herbal supplements. A significant effect of herbal feed additive on lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count was observed (p < 0.001). The highest number density of LAB was found in the goats receiving the feed additive with nine herbs at 20 g/animal per day (p < 0.05). There was a statistically significant effect of lactation stage on intestinal LAB count (p < 0.001). Regardless of the feeding group, the highest number density of LAB was found in animals at the peak of lactation. The LAB count was also affected by the interaction of diet group × lactation stage (p < 0.0001). A probiotic strain of Lactobacillus fermentum was identified in the faecal samples of goats receiving the herbal additive, but not in the controls. Genetic identification of the microorganisms isolated from the faeces of the experimental goats did not reveal the presence of harmful mould spores, although spores of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus were detected in the controls.

Mare's Milk from a Small Polish Specialized Farm-Basic Chemical Composition, Fatty Acid Profile, and Healthy Lipid Indices.

The objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition, fatty acid profile, and values of healthy indices of milk from a specialized farm of Polish Coldblood mares of different ages, birth orders, and lactation stages. Milk samples (n = 48) were collected for analysis in weeks 10, 15, and 25 of lactation from mares aged between five and 14 years. The study showed that the stage of lactation has a significant effect on the fatty acid (FA) profile of the milk produced on the farm. The highest concentration of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FAs was found in milk produced from the 15th week of lactation. The milk was also characterized by low values of atherogenic and thrombogenic indices, which indicate the health benefits of milk with respect to the content of fatty acids and their potential to prevent or cause atherosclerosis and thrombosis. The study also found a significant correlation between the number of foalings (birth order), the fatty acid profile, and atherogenic index of milk produced on the farm. The findings from the study indicate that it is possible to modify the fatty acid profile of bulk tank milk through appropriate management of the age structure of the herd of mares. To confirm this dependence, the study will be continued on a larger group of mares.

Color Stability of Fermented Mare's Milk and a Fermented Beverage from Cow's Milk Adapted to Mare's Milk Composition.

Color is important for the consumer when making a purchase decision. Mare's milk and, thus, fermented mare's milk is little known to consumers. Thus, it is worth presenting research showing the extent of color change during the production and storage of mare's milk. Herein, we examined the range of color changes in mare's milk and cow's milks adapted to mare's milk composition. These samples were further fermented and stored for 3 weeks at 5 ± 1 °C. Starter cultures containing Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus were used for fermentation. Mare's milk reached the required pH of 4.5 during fermentation faster (255 min) than cow's milk (300 min). After fermentation, mare's milk compared to cow's milk and adapted cow's milk had lower titratable acidity (0.75%) and firmness (145. 6 |(g∙s)|). The water holding capacity (95.6%) and number of Lactobacillus (7.71 log CFU/mL) and Streptocococcus (7.20 log CFU/mL) in mare's and other's milks were the same. Mare's milk was furthest from the ideal white (WI) color, with its chrome (C*) being 1.5-times larger than cow's milk. However, fermented mare's milk was darker than the fermented adapted milk and cow's milk by 36% and 58%, respectively. Storage caused a decrease in the WI, C*, and yellowness index (YI). The fermented mare's milk color stability during production and storage was less than that of fermented cow's milk. After 3 weeks storage, it was observed that the titratable acidity increased to 1.05%, and the pH decreased to 4.3 in fermented mare's milk. The water holding capacity decreased but was still higher compared to fermented cow's milk.

Evaluation of quality of kefir from milk obtained from goats supplemented with a diet rich in bioactive compounds.

BACKGROUND: The composition of bioactive components in dairy products depends on their content in raw milk and the processing conditions. The experimental material consisted of the milk of dairy goats supplemented with 120 g d(-1) per head of false flax cake. The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of kefir produced from goat's milk with a higher content of bioactive components resulting from supplementation of the goats' diet with false flax cake. RESULTS: The administration of false flax cake to goats had a positive effect on the fatty acid profile of the raw milk, causing an increase in the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and n-3 fatty acids. Their increased percentage was detected in the kefir after production as well as after storage. The processing value of the harvested milk did not differ from the qualitative characteristics of milk from goats of the control group. Increasing the proportion of bioactive components in goat's milk did not result in changes in the acidity, texture, colour, flavour, aroma or consistency of the kefir obtained. CONCLUSION: Milk and kefir obtained after the administration of false flax cake to goats contain bioactive components (PUFA including CLA, n-3 and monoenic trans fatty acids) in significant amounts. Kefir from experimental goat's milk did not differ in quality from kefir made from the milk of the control group.

Fat content and fatty acids profile of colostrum and milk of primitive Konik horses ( Equus caballus gmelini Ant.) during six months of lactation.

The effect of the stage of lactation, the number of foals and age of the mare on changes in the fat content and fatty acid composition of colostrum and milk of primitive Konik horses was investigated. Colostrum and milk samples from 12 lactating mares were collected at the beginning of lactation, on the days 1 and 2 after foaling and then, starting from the first month of lactation, at 4-week intervals up to the sixth month of lactation. Significant differences were observed in fat content as well as the composition of some analysed fatty acids between colostrum and milk of mares of the Konik breed. The number of foalings and the age of mares did not have a statistically significant effect on the fat content in milk and had only a slight effect on the fatty acid composition. Milk produced by mares of the Konik breed is characterized by a considerable content of polyene fatty acids with 18 carbon atoms, a low ratio of n-6 fatty acids to n-3 fatty acids as well as low, highly advantageous values of atherogenic and thrombogenic indices.