The objective of this study was to observe the effects of selenium-yeast (SY) on growth performance, muscle antioxidant activity, meat quality, fatty acid and amino acid profiles in growing goats. A total of 18 Qianbei-pockmarked goats were assigned to three groups (six duplicates per group) by body weight (25.75 ± 1.75 kg; mean ± standard deviation) according to a completely randomized design: (1) basal diet (CON); (2) CON with 2.4 mg/kg SY (LS); and (3) CON with 4.8 mg/kg SY (HS). The results indicated that goats receiving SY did not show any differences (P > 0.05) in terms of dry matter intake, growth performance, or muscle chemical composition. In addition, dietary treatment did not affect (P > 0.05) the pH values (pH_45min and pH_24h), percentage of water loss, drip loss, or cooking loss. The HS group showed a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the dressing percentage, eye muscle area and meat color, as well as muscle total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity levels, whereas it showed a significant drop (P < 0.05) in shear force and muscle malondialdehyde levels relative to the control. Feeding 4.8 mg/kg SY led to a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the levels of C8:0, C14:0, C15:0, C16:0, C17:0, C18:0, C20:0 and total saturated fatty acids, whereas it led to a significant (P < 0.05) increase in C15:1 in comparison with that of the control group. Goats receiving 2.4 mg/kg SY had significantly (P < 0.05) increased C16:1, C17:1, C18:1n7, C18:2n6, C18:3n3, C20:4n6, C22:1n9, and PUFA relative to the control group. Compared with the control group, the treatment groups had higher (P < 0.05) levels of C18:1n9, C22:4, and monounsaturated fatty acids. The inclusion of 2.4 mg/kg SY induced significant (P < 0.05) increases in 4-aminobutyric acid, glutamic acid and umami amino acid concentrations compared to the control. In addition, the feeding of 4.8 mg/kg SY had significantly higher (P < 0.05) muscle serine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, ornithine hydrochloride, methionine, and tyrosine levels than the control group. Collectively, Se supplementation in the diet did not affect growth performance, muscle chemical composition, whereas it could improve meat quality, muscle antioxidant activity, fatty acid and amino acid profiles in Qianbei-pockmarked goats. This showed that the optimal accession SY level was 4.8 mg/kg under the experimental conditions of this study.

The objective of this study was to observe the effects of anthocyanin from purple corn on blood biochemical indexes, ruminal fluid fermentation parameters, and the microbial population in goats. A total of 18 Qianbei Ma wether kids (body weight, 21.38 ± 1.61 kg; mean ± standard deviation) were randomly assigned to three groups using a completely randomized design. The group diets were: (1) control, basal diet, (2) treatment 1 (LA), basal diet with 0.5-g/d purple corn pigment (PCP), and (3) treatment 2 (HA), basal diet with 1-g/d PCP. The results showed that supplementation of PCP anthocyanin increased (P < 0.05) crude protein and gross energy digestibilities compared to the control. Compared to the control group, the inclusion of anthocyanin-rich PCP led to significantly increased (P < 0.05) plasma reduced glutathione and peroxidase concentrations. Goats receiving PCP had increased (P < 0.05) ruminal fluid acetic acid and a higher ratio of acetate to propionate, while the propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, isobutyric acid, and isovaleric acid levels had decreased (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in ruminal fluid alpha bacterial diversity among the three groups. At the phylum level, the feeding of PCP had significant effect (P < 0.05) on the abundances of Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Elusimicrobiota, WPS-2, and Cyanobacteria. At the genus level, HA group had lower (P < 0.05) Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group abundance compared to the other groups. In addition, significant differences (P < 0.05) were also observed for the ruminal fluid Eubacterium_nodatum_group, Amnipila, Ruminiclostridium, U29-B03, unclassified_c_Clostridia, Pyramidobacter, Anaeroplasma, UCG-004, Atopobium, norank_f_norank_o_Bradymonadales, Elusimicrobium, norank_f_norank_o_norank_c_norank_p_WPS-2, norank_f_Bacteroidales_UCG-001, and norank_f_norank_o_Gastranaerophilales among all groups. Taken together, the inclusion of anthocyanin-rich PCP increased the antioxidant potential, improved rumen volatile fatty acids, and induced a shift in the structure and relative abundance of ruminal microbiota in growing goats.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of purple corn anthocyanin on performance, meat quality, muscle antioxidant activity, antioxidant gene expression, and fatty acid profiles in goats. The feeding trial period lasted 74 d. The adaptation period was 14 d, and the formal experimental period was 60 d. Eighteen Qianbei-pockmarked goats (Guizhou native goat breed; body weight, 21.38 ± 1.61 kg; mean ± standard deviation) were randomly allotted into three equal groups, including a control with no purple corn pigment (PCP) and groups receiving either 0.5 g/d PCP or 1.0 g/d PCP. The inclusion of PCP did not affect (p > 0.05) the dry matter intake, average daily gain, or feed conversion ratio compared to the control group. The addition of PCP reduced (p < 0.05) shear force in the longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle (LTL) during the growth phase of the goats. Goats receiving PCP showed higher (p < 0.05) levels of reduced glutathione, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity and peroxidase in LTL compared to the control. Moreover, compared to the control, the PCP group displayed lower (p < 0.05) concentrations of 12:0, C16:0, and total saturated fatty acids, but increased (p < 0.05) concentrations of various unsaturated fatty acids, including C18:1n9, C20:3n6, C20:4n6, C18:2n6 cis, C20:3n6, C22:5n3, C22:6n3, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The abundance of nuclear factor, erythroid 2 like 2, superoxide dismutase 1, glutathione peroxidase 1, and catalase was upregulated (p < 0.05) in the LTL of goats receiving 0.5 g/d PCP in comparison to the other groups. Collectively, result of the current study indicated that PCP anthocyanin could be used as a source of natural functional additive because anthocyanin-rich PCP has the potential to improve meat quality and enhance muscle antioxidant status as well as improve the proportions of PUFAs in goat muscle.

The current study aimed to investigate the effect of anthocyanins on muscle flavor compound profiles in goats. Goats in three groups were fed a basic diet or a diet supplemented with 0.5 g/d or 1 g/d anthocyanin-rich purple corn pigment (PCP). Compared to the control group, plasma total cholesterol was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in the anthocyanin groups. The feeding of anthocyanin increased (p < 0.05) flavor compound types and total alcohol level, whereas it decreased (p < 0.05) total hydrocarbons, aromatics, esters, and miscellaneous compounds in the longissimusthoracis et lumborum muscle (LTL). Adding PCP to the diet enriched (p < 0.05) vegetal, herbaceous, grease, and fruity flavors compared to the control group. The 0.5 g/d PCP group had increased (p < 0.05) abundance of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, but there was a decreased (p < 0.05) level of lipoprotein lipase in LTL. Collectively, this study indicated that anthocyanin can improve mutton flavor by decreasing plasma lipid parameters and by modulating the abundance of several flavor-related genes of goats.

The aim of this study was to observe the effect of purple corn anthocyanin on the light-induced antioxidant activity, free radicals, volatile compounds, color parameters, and sensory properties of milk during storage. There were four groups: (1) negative control, no addition of anthocyanins + exposure to fluorescent light (NC); (2) positive control 1, no addition of anthocyanins + protected from fluorescent light (PC1); (3) positive control 2, the addition of 0.3% (w/v) anthocyanins + exposure to fluorescent light (PC2); and (4) the addition of 0.3% anthocyanins + protected from fluorescent light (AC). The results indicated that the concentration of antioxidant activity parameters in the NC group decreased during the entire storage period, whereas antioxidant activity parameters were unchanged except for the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the AC group. Moreover, the NC group showed lower levels of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity and higher levels of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide than the other groups after 1 d of storage period. The extent of malondialdehyde accumulation and lipid peroxidation in the control groups were greater than that of the AC group. Twenty-two volatile compounds were determined in milk, which consisted of eight alcohols, three ketones, five aldehydes, two esters, and four hydrocarbons by headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometer analysis. Specifically, individual aldehydes, esters and hydrocarbons in the AC group remained at relatively stable values during storage relative to the other three groups. Stronger positive correlations were detected between several antioxidant activities (superoxide dismutase, GSH-Px) and DPPH scavenging activity as well as total ketones in milk. Adding of anthocyanin did not impact on the color values of L^*, a^* and b^* in light-protected milk during the entire storage period. Some sensory evaluation parameters (flat, garlic/onion/weedy, oxidized-light, oxidized-metal, rancid) in AC group were significantly higher than that of the control group at the end of the period. In conclusion, the current study revealed that the addition of purple corn anthocyanin pigment to light-protected milk had the potential to prevent lipid oxidation, enhance antioxidant activity, maintain volatile compounds and increase the sensory scores.

The transfer of natural antioxidants from feed to milk has become a research hotspot. Polyphenols are a source of potent natural antioxidants that may play important roles in improving antioxidant activity and milk quality in dairy goats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of polyphenol-rich Coix seed extract (CSE) on rumen fermentation, milk production, fatty acid profile, antioxidant activity, and polyphenol content in milk from lactating dairy goats. Forty dairy goats were allocated to 4 treatments, and the treatments containing 0, 1.5, 3.0, or 4.5 g of CSE per kg of total mixed ration. The results indicated that the ruminal fluid total volatile fatty acid level increased linearly and quadratically, the acetic acid concentration and acetate:propionate ratio decreased quadratically, and the propionic acid level increased quadratically with increasing CSE concentration. An increase in dietary CSE linearly and quadratically increased milk production parameters, and quadratically increased milk protein, lactose, and solids-not-fat. The concentrations of C18:3n-3, C20:3n-3, and C22:5n-3 in milk were affected by the treatment, and increased quadratically, whereas those of C18:2n-6c, C20:3n-6, and C20:4n-6 decreased quadratically with increasing CSE. An increase in the concentration of CSE in the diet linearly and quadratically increased 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity in plasma and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and catalase (CAT) activities in milk. The levels of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, catechin, apigenin, kaempferol, and bergapten in milk were affected by the treatment, and linearly and quadratically increased with increasing dietary CSE levels. Significant positive correlations were detected between TAC, CAT, and DPPH scavenging activity and gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, apigenin, kaempferol, and bergapten, and positive correlations were detected between CAT and DPPH scavenging activity and catechin concentration in milk. In addition, significant positive correlations were detected between DPPH scavenging activity in plasma and TAC, DPPH scavenging activity in milk. Taken together, these findings indicate that dietary supplementation with CSE appears to be a promising strategy for improving the production performance of lactating dairy goats. Overall, the appropriate supplemental level of CSE was 1.5 g/kg in dairy goats under the conditions of the current experiment.