Antioxidant activity, bioactive polyphenols in Mexican goats' milk cheeses on summer grazing

Two feeding systems trials were carried out to determine the antioxidant activity of soft goats' milk cheeses, and also to evaluate the presence of bioactive polyphenolic compounds. Two groups (A and B), each one with 20 (BW 50+/-5 kg) French Alpine goats were employed. All animals had between 70 to 80 milking days and were milked once a day. Group A included daily grazing on shruby rangeland vegetation, and group B was kept in full indoor confinement. Thirty kg of goats' milk from each group were collected; 15 kg from each were pasteurized and the remaining 15 kg were not pasteurized (raw), resulting in four treatments (two feeding system x two milk treatments). Soft goat's cheese antioxidant activity can be modified by the animals feeding system; grazing management represents a better option than indoor feeding to produce a healthy profile of bioactive compounds; providing an increase of total polyphenol, hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoid concentrations. Pasteurization did have a significant effect on these metabolites, and diminished total polyphenol concentration. More research is needed to elucidate the potential of soft goat's cheese as a functional food.