Feeding Dairy Goats Dehydrated Orange Pulp Improves Cheese Antioxidant Content.

Simple Summary: Agroindustrial by-products serve as an alternative source of livestock feed, significantly contributing to the sustainability of livestock systems. A very interesting by-product is dehydrated orange pulp (DOP), generated by the industrial production of orange juice, Spain being the largest producer of it in Europe. The DOP could be used as food for ruminants, replacing cereals. We have shown that DOP could replace up to 80% of the cereals in diets without detrimental effects on milk production during complete lactation and the growth of the kids. Furthermore, the milk quality improved from the perspective of human health. As a continuation of that trial, and given the current consumer interest in the healthy properties of animal products, the present study examined the replacing cereal with DOP in the diet of dairy goats, and focused on the antioxidant compounds and fatty acid contents of artisanal cheeses made from raw milk. The vitamin E content, total phenols, and total antioxidant activity in the cheeses increased as the amount of dehydrated orange pulp in the diet rose. In summary, the use of dehydrated orange pulp contributes to both sustainable livestock practices and the quality of goat cheese. Agroindustrial by-products constitute an alternative source of feed livestock, and their use contributes to the sustainability of livestock systems and the circular bioeconomy. The effects of replacing cereal (0%, 40%, and 80%) with dehydrated orange pulp (DOP) in the diet of goats on the antioxidant and fatty acid (FA) contents of cheeses were evaluated. For a more suitable understanding of the role of coagulant enzymes in establishing the properties of the cheese, the effect of milk-clotting with animal and vegetable rennet was also analysed. The rennet did not substantially affect the FA or the antioxidant compounds, and the use of DOP did not affect the FA contents. However, the α-tocopherol levels, total phenolic compounds (TPC), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in cheeses increased as the percentage of DOP replacing cereals increased. Moreover, the high correlation obtained between the TAC and the TPC (r = 0.73) and α-tocopherol (r = 0.62) contents indicated the important role played by these compounds in improving the antioxidant capacity of the cheese. In conclusion, DOP is a suitable alternative to cereals in the diet of goats and improves the antioxidant status of the cheese produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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