Abstract
Simple SummaryThere is an increasing demand for information on the nutraceutical properties of food. Due to its bioactive components and high digestibility, goat milk is an excellent functional food. Dietary fat supplementation can further enrich the value of goat milk by modifying its acidic profile. Nevertheless, animal health can also benefit from lipids supplied with rations. In this review, the relationships between dietary fats and goat health status are summarized. Particular attention is paid to describing the effects of specific fatty acids on lipid metabolism and immune functionality.Fat supplementation has long been used in dairy ruminant nutrition to increase the fat content of milk and supply energy during particularly challenging production phases. Throughout the years, advances have been made in the knowledge of metabolic pathways and technological treatments of dietary fatty acids (FAs), resulting in safer and more widely available lipid supplements. There is an awareness of the positive nutraceutical effects of the addition of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to fat supplementation, which provides consumers with healthier animal products through manipulation of their characteristics. If it is true that benefits to human health can be derived from the consumption of animal products rich in bioactive fatty acids (FAs), then it is reasonable to think that the same effect can occur in the animals to which the supplements are administered. Therefore, recent advances in fat supplementation of dairy goats with reference to the effect on health status have been summarized. In vivo trials and in vitro analysis on cultured cells, as well as histological and transcriptomic analyses of hepatic and adipose tissue, have been reviewed in order to assess documented relationships between specific FAs, lipid metabolism, and immunity.
Highlights
In recent years, the identification of various biologically active components in ruminant milk and dairy products, coupled with the growing attention of general consumers with respect to the nutraceutical and health properties of food, has generated interest on their potential beneficial effects on human health [1]
Feedstuffs in the ruminant diet have a low content in lipids, most of which are unsaturated in nature
At least 60%–70% of dairy milk fat is composed of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), with a remaining 20%–35% monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and only up to a 5% content in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) [7]
Summary
The identification of various biologically active components in ruminant milk and dairy products, coupled with the growing attention of general consumers with respect to the nutraceutical and health properties of food, has generated interest on their potential beneficial effects on human health [1]. At least 60%–70% of dairy milk fat is composed of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), with a remaining 20%–35% MUFAs and only up to a 5% content in PUFAs [7]. These differences can be largely attributed to the rumen biohydrogenation process. PUFAs found in milk fat derive from the small amount of rumen-escaped PUFAs and—in a minor part—by the enzymatic activity of mammary ∆9 desaturase [12] It is undoubted how nutritional factors (forage type, forage/concentrate ratio, fat sources) and feed processing can still affect the FA profile of milk. This review will attempt to summarize current knowledge about lipid supplementation in dairy goats, with reference to the effect on lipidic metabolism and immune response
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