A Review on the Role of EPA and DHA Through Goat Nutrition to Human Health: Could they be Effective both to Animals and Humans?

Abstract

Goat's milk is high digestible and useful for a number of human health problems, but this product could be further increased in its beneficial effects on immune response both at animal and human level through the use of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) sources in goat diet. In the last decade, the interest on n-3 PUFAs, in particular eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6), has increased due to their proved positive effects on human health. These two PUFAs must be provided with the diet both in human and animals. Anyway EPA and DHA can be successfully transferred into milk and thus can be available to human consumption with positive related effects on immune response. But what is the best dietary source of EPA and DHA in goat diet? The most promising and investigated raw material seems to be fish oil, but the interest in alternative n-3 PUFAs-rich sources, such as algae, is increasing. The EPA and DHA mechanisms of action, affecting metabolic and pathological pathways, must be still elucidated in goats, especially for what concern the use of dietary algae. The inclusion of fish oil and algae in the diet of dairy goat can increase the healthy properties of milk with consequential health benefit in human.