Physicochemical Characteristics of Yogurt from Sheep Fed with Moringa oleifera Leaf Extracts.

Miriam M Mendoza-Taco,Josafat A Hernández-Becerra,Ángel Piñeiro-Vázquez,Alfonso J Chay-Canul,Aldenamar Cruz-Hernández,Armando Gómez-Vázquez,Victor M Moo-Huchin,Einar Vargas-Bello-Pérez,Angélica A Ochoa-Flores

doi:10.3390/ani12010110

Abstract

Simple SummaryThis study determined the effect of feeding Moringa oleifera (MO) leaf extracts to lactating ewes on the physicochemical composition of their milk and yogurt during storage (4 °C for 14 days) and the sensory acceptance of the yogurt. The supplementation of MO in lactating ewes’ diets improved the contents of protein, ash, acidity, and leucine in their milk. The effect of MO in yogurt showed an increase in nonfat solids, protein, and leucine during storage at 4 °C for 14 days. The MO had a positive effect on the overall acceptance of yogurt at a higher MO level of supplementation in sheep diets. Therefore, adding MO leaf extracts to sheep diets could be a feasible nutritional strategy to improve the physicochemical characteristics of yogurt from sheep. This study determined the effect of feeding Moringa oleifera (MO) leaf extracts to lactating ewes on the physicochemical composition of their milk and yogurt during storage (4 °C for 14 days) and the sensory acceptance of the yogurt. Over 45 days, 24 multiparous lactating Pelibuey and Katahdin ewes (two days in lactation) were randomly assigned to four groups: MO-0, basal diet (BD) + 0 mL MO; MO-20, BD + 20 mL MO; MO-40, BD + 40 mL MO; and MO-60, BD + 60 mL MO. In the milk, an increase of 6% in protein, 26% in leucine, 14% in ash, and 1% in the pH (6.71) was observed with MO-60. The density values decreased by 0.3% at a higher dose of MO compared to MO-0, while the nonfat solids (NFS) in the milk were similar between the treatments. In the yogurt, an increase of 5% in protein, 113% in leucine (MO-20), 9% in NFS, and a reduction of 2% in moisture with MO-60 was observed. The acidity reflected an inverse relationship to the pH, as did the moisture and NFS with MO-60. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with MO in lactating ewes did not have negative effects on the chemical composition of their yogurt during storage (14 days). Overall, feeding sheep with 20 mL of MO positively influenced the physicochemical composition of their milk and yogurt during storage.

Highlights

The importance of sheep’s milk yogurt lies in its amount of nutrients [1,2], such as peptides, fatty acids, and microelements [3]
The dietary supplementation of extracts of Moringa oleifera leaves at doses of 20, 40, or 60 mL/d per ewe in lactating ewes did not affect the total milk yield (53 ± 5 kg) or the daily milk yield (1.17 ± 0.12 kg)
In contrast to the content of nonfat solids and the milk density, the supplementation of Moringa oleifera (MO) in sheep feed resulted in an increase (p < 0.05) in the protein and ash contents at a higher dose of MO (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

The importance of sheep’s milk yogurt lies in its amount of nutrients [1,2], such as peptides, fatty acids, and microelements [3]. The abundance of antioxidants in milk is dependent on the environmental and stressful conditions to which the animal may be exposed, causing an imbalance between oxidizing agents and antioxidants [1]. These changes in milk quality depend on the type of feed. Ruminants are mostly fed on forages; forages derived from shrubs contain high amounts of phenolic compounds, tannins, saponins, and flavonoids that are available at relatively low costs, making them a strategy for improving dairy product quality [5]. The use of MO in sheep diets has been shown to have effects on the productive parameters (higher DM intake, improved daily milk production, and increased weight gains) and nutritional quality of dairy products [5,11,12]

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