Strategies to change goat milk composition with consequences for human health

Abstract

The domestic goat (Capra aegagrushircus) was one of the first man-domesticates ruminants and presents great benefits such as rapid development, high progeny, high adaptability and resistance to extreme weather and environmental conditions. Lately, the demand for goat milk has been increasing as it presents itself as a very nutritious alternative for humans, especially due to the presence of bioactive components. This literature review aims at remark this beneficial biological activity for human health, including strategies to induce higher concentration of bioactive components in goat milk. This product is able to modulate metabolic processes and induce some beneficial effects on human health, such as immunomodulatory activity, antioxidant, antibacterial properties, prevention of injuries in high performance athletes, improving digestibility, antiatherogenic effect and anticarcinogenic properties. The presence of these compounds classifies goat milk as a functional food, and its composition can change mainly due to the animal’s diet, but also by changes in weather conditions and within the farming system. Then, goat milk really has been an alternative to human nutritional requirements due to the presence of bioactive components in its composition.