Nutritional and therapeutic value of fermented caprine milk

Caprine milk is a nutritional and therapeutic food. The unique and beneficial characteristics of caprine milk that are superior to bovine milk include: better digestibility; greater buffering capacity; fat globules that are smaller in diameter and better distributed in the milk emulsion; higher content of short‐chain fatty acids in the milk fat; higher content of zinc, iron and magnesium; stronger lactoperoxidase (antimicrobial) system as well as better immunological and antibacterial characteristics. The larger amounts of some minerals, such as calcium, zinc and magnesium, in caprine milk may influence the growth of lactic acid bacteria since they are a normal part of some enzymatic complexes involved in lactose fermentation. The higher whey protein content could also be significant because Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria grow better in the presence of higher levels of some amino acids (valine, glycine, hystidine). The use of caprine and ovine milk in cheesemaking is well known, but the production of fermented caprine milk via probiotics has not yet been developed, although many studies have highlighted the requirements for production of that kind of healthy food. During fermentation caprine milk loses its characteristic ‘goaty’ taste, which is unacceptable to many consumers. Moreover, the nutritive value of caprine milk increases during fermentation. The rise in the number of goat farms in Croatia has created the need to find other products that can be produced using caprine milk. According to the present situation in Croatia, there is no real possibility of producing fermented caprine milk for the global market, but many studies of fermented caprine milk have been performed.     

STABILITY OF ANTHOCYANINS, PHENOLS AND FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITY THROUGH SUGAR ADDITION DURING FROZEN STORAGE OF BLACKBERRIES

Influence of sugar and mixtures of sugar on color retention of two varieties of blackberries, Thornfree and Cacanska bestrna, were investigated during storage at − 18C for 12 months. After harvest, blackberries were coated with sugars (sucrose, fructose and glucose) and different sugar (sucrose  +  fructose  +  glucose, fructose  +  glucose, fructose  +  sucrose) mixtures. Anthocynin content, total phenol content and free radical scavenging activity of prepared samples were evaluated. Ratio of fruit : sugar was 1:1. The highest anthocyanin retention was in blackberry samples with glucose addition and the lowest in samples with sucrose addition, in both cultivars. Blackberry samples with sucrose addition had even lower retention than samples without sugar addition. Samples with an addition of other sugars had higher retention of anthocyanin than samples stored without sugars.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Possibility of phenols retention of blackberries due to sugar addition, during cold storage was investigated. Results showed that glucose had the most positive effect on anthocyanins retention as well as total phenolic compounds content. For that reason, certain amount of sucrose in fruit preserves can be replaced by addition of glucose, and for that reason retention of phenolic compounds can be higher and, as could be expected, more effective against oxidative stress in human body due to intake of product formulation with glucose.