Preliminary Study on the Influence of Breed, Age, and Diet on the Nutritional Quality of Goat Milk

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5377/ul.v17i2.22398

Keywords:

Goat milk, nutritional quality, Toggenburg, Anglonubian, UV-VIS spectrophotometry.

Abstract

The Nicaraguan market for goat products, particularly milk, has shown recent growth; however, its nutritional quality is limited by non-standardized management practices. This study evaluated physicochemical parameters of goat milk and their relationship with breed, age, and feeding. Milk samples were analyzed from Anglo-Nubian (22 months) and Toggenburg (18 months) goats subjected to different diets. The results showed differences between breeds: pH ranged from 6.4–6.6 in Anglo-Nubian and 7.0–7.2 in Toggenburg; lactic acidity from 16.3–16.9 °D versus 15.3–15.4 °D; density of 0.9989 and 1.009 g/mL; total solids of 10.1% in both cases; protein content of 3.3% and 4.3%; and fat content of 4.6% and 2.3%, respectively. The Toggenburg breed showed higher protein and acidity values, associated with better quality. Age showed no significant influence on pH, acidity, or protein, although it did affect fat content. In contrast, feeding and breed produced relevant variations in several parameters, while density and total solids remained stable. It is concluded that goat milk quality depends mainly on feeding and breed rather than age, making their optimization essential to strengthen the competitiveness of the goat production sector in Nicaragua. Furthermore, the interaction between breed and diet particularly influenced fat content, highlighting the need for integrated management strategies to improve milk quality.

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Author Biographies

J. I. Cisne-Altamirano, National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, León. Nicaragua

Researcher at the Research Center for Environmental Sciences

H. E. Escoto-López, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, León. Nicaragua

Faculty Researcher in the Specific Area of Chemistry, Knowledge Area of Science and Technology, UNAN-León, with experience in soil analysis, food analysis, and foliar analysis.

M. E. Soto-Sarria, National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, Leon. Nicaragua

Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, University of Valladolid: Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. Master’s Degree in Experimental Chemistry and Laboratory (Inorganic Chemistry), University of Valladolid: Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. University Expert in Quality Requirements for Testing Laboratory Accreditation (Analytical Chemistry), International University of Andalusia: La Rábida, Andalusia, Spain

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Published

2026-05-05

How to Cite

Cisne Altamirano, J. I., Escoto López, H. E. ., & Soto Sarria, M. E. (2026). Preliminary Study on the Influence of Breed, Age, and Diet on the Nutritional Quality of Goat Milk. Universitas (León), 17(2), 11–16. https://doi.org/10.5377/ul.v17i2.22398

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Original Articles

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