Milk contains several important nutrients that are beneficial for human health. This review considers the nutritional qualities of essential fatty acids (FAs), especially omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) present in milk from ruminant and non-ruminant species. In particular, the impact of milk fatty acids on metabolism is discussed, including its effects on the central nervous system. In addition, we presented data indicating how animal feeding—the main way to modify milk fat composition—may have a potential impact on human health, and how rearing and feeding systems strongly affect milk quality within the same animal species. Finally, we have presented the results of in vivo studies aimed at supporting the beneficial effects of milk FA intake in animal models, and the factors limiting their transferability to humans were discussed.

The effect of pasture on the stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) and miRNA 103 expression was evaluated on dairy goats divided into two homogeneous groups (G, grazing, and S, stable). Group S was housed in a stall and received alfalfa hay as forage, while group G was led to pasture. The goats of both the groups received the same amount of concentrate. Milk yield did not differ statistically between the groups. Group G showed significantly higher fat (4.10% vs. 2.94%, p < 0.01) and protein percentage (3.43% vs. 3.25%; p < 0.05) than group S. Among milk fatty acids, group S showed significantly higher levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and lower values of mono-unsaturated fatty acid (MUFA). The percentages of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) were not different between groups even if pasture significantly affected the percentages of C18:3 and total omega 3. In group G, total CLAs were twice than in group S (0.646% vs. 0.311%; p < 0.01) mainly due to the differences in CLA cis9 trans 11 (0.623% vs. 0.304%; p < 0.01). Milk total CLA in grazing group was significantly (p < 0.01) higher in August according to the highest value of both linoleic and α-linolenic acids in the pasture. In grazing animals, SCD expression decreased from April to June, increased in July and decreased again in August, while it was almost unvaried along the trial in group S. By contrast, the expression of miRNA 103 showed a similar trend for both groups, decreasing from April to June, increasing in July and falling down in August. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of the effects of pasture on miRNA expression in milk from ruminant species.

In the internal areas of Cilento, province of Salerno (Campania), the Cilentana, a small native goat breed population, is reared quite widespread, due to its dual-purpose attitude and to its typical productions. The extensive livestock system adopted for this breed allows the use of otherwise abandoned territories and a sustainable farming capable of ensuring high-quality levels. In addition, Cilentana goat farming represents an important source of income for the local communities and also preserves the territory itself guaranteeing the protection of biodiversity and the conservation of local activities that have a historical tradition. The aim of this study is twofold: give an overview of Cilentana breed morphological and productive traits linked to the historical and gastronomic tradition of the area and emphasize the economic role of this breed in the perspective of the ongoing new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rules.

The determination of the ruminal degradability rate of feeds, mainly starch and crude protein, is one of the most common methods to evaluate the nutritional value of ruminant feed. The protein requirements for ruminants are met from microbial protein and undegraded dietary protein digested in the small intestine. In order to reach maximum productivity, high-quality proteins are needed, and the requirement for undegraded dietary protein increases with the performance of the animal. This protein can be supplied by reducing the ruminal degradation to increase the amount of protein digested post-rumen, but the form in which a feed is administered influences degradability, and grain processing, especially, is a common practice to improve feed efficiency. Despite these aspects, studies on the effects of feed processing methods on protein degradability are limited, even though more and more ruminants are fed with processed feeds. For these reasons, this review investigated the protein degradability of different processed cereals and legumes in ruminants based on the analysis of available literature in order to take stock of the state of the art on this topic. Results showed that: First, the majority of the papers are focused on the energy aspects mainly due to carbohydrate-rich feeds; second, the majority of the studies in the literature are quite old, probably because the changes occurred in the animal testing legislation that made in vivo studies more and more difficult in the last 20 years; third, as a consequence, the few data available in recent years concern in vitro experiments; fourth, we found a high variability of the experimental conditions thus affecting protein degradability and making it quite difficult to compare the different results.

The nutritional peculiarities of dairy products made with milk from pasture-fed ruminants would require a rapid control to be authenticated and limit the risk of fraud. In the current study, ninety milk samples from two groups of goats were analysed by electronic nose, quantitative descriptive sensory (QDA) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis with the aim of discriminating between milk produced on grazing and on a confinement feeding system. The raw milk samples were taken at five different times over a period of three months (April, May and June 2021) from eighteen individual Saanen goats divided into two groups, one of which was fed outdoors on a highly biodiverse pasture. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA), carried out on electronic nose data, was able to classify the two types of milk in terms of an animal feeding system (88% correct classification). Pasture milk scored higher for sensory descriptors such as “Grassy” and “Sweet aromatic” odours. Terpene compounds were the chemical class that qualitatively differentiates the pasture milk while volatile fatty acids were the most present quantitatively. Electronic nose has proven to be a rapid, reproducible and simple method for authenticating pasture raw milk in routine control analyses.