Small Ruminant Research 101 (2011) 3340

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Small Ruminant Research

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/smallrumres

Biochemical characteristics of ewe and goat milk: Effect on the quality

of dairy products
Marzia Albenzio , Antonella Santillo
Department of Production and Innovation in Mediterranean Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Foggia, Via Napoli, 25, 71100, Foggia, Italy

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Available online 2 October 2011
Key words:
Milk technological properties
Cheese quality
Texture
Flavour
Biofuncional molecules

a b s t r a c t
The objective of this review paper is to report research ndings on the role of milk protein
and indigenous enzymes on the ability of ewe and goat milk to be processed and on the
quality of dairy products. Emphasis is placed on the role of casein characteristics and of
indigenous enzymes on avour, rheology, texture, and biofuncionality of ewe and goat
cheese.
Finally, the review highlights that further study is needed on milk protein genetic variants in ovine species, and on the role of indigenous enzymes, especially minor proteolytic
enzyme systems, on the quality of small ruminants milk and dairy products.
2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Milk protein and indigenous enzymes impact directly
on the ability of milk to be processed and on the quality of
dairy products. The characteristics of casein in ewe and goat
milk are of particular interest due to the high number of
polymorphism that are related to cheesemaking properties
of milk. Indigenous enzymes in small ruminant milk have
received minor attention than bovine milk and focused on
the principal enzyme complex as plasmin and lipoprotein
lipase. Ewe and goat milk is mainly processed to cheese,
which are in increasing demand, therefore there is a need
of knowledge on the role of indigenous proteoliytic and
lipolytic enzymes on the cheesemaking ability and on their
effects on ripening process. Biofuncionality in ewe and goat
milk and dairy products is a new and much unexplored
research eld which could be of particular signicance for
the exploitation of small ruminant production.
The purpose of the present review is to report the role
of casein characteristics and indigenous enzymes on (i)

This paper is part of the special issue entitled Products from Small
Ruminants, Guest Edited by A. Govaris and G. Moatsou.
Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 0881 589327; fax: +39 0881 589301.
E-mail address: m.albenzio@unifg.it (M. Albenzio).
0921-4488/$ see front matter 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2011.09.023

cheesemaking properties of ewe and goat milk; (ii) the

quality of cheese with a particular reference to avour, rheology, and texture. Moreover, recent research are reported
on biofunctional compounds in ewe and goat milk and
dairy products.
2. Inuence of casein polymorphism on
cheesemaking properties of ewe and goat milk
The genetic polymorphisms of milk proteins are of
importance as they are associated to quantitative and qualitative parameters in milk. Protein composition affects
technological properties of milk especially in cattle and
goats while in sheep the results are controversial (Giambra
et al., 2010). Genetic polymorphisms of milk proteins also
play an important role in eliciting different degrees of allergic reaction (El-Agamy, 2007; Park, 1994; Saini and Gill,
1991). Some studies revealed that goat milk (Bevilacqua
et al., 2001; Slacanac et al., 2010) can be considered as a
proper alternative to human milk due to hypoallergenic
properties of its proteins.
Extensive investigation in goat milk revealed the presence of high numbers of alleles at the four casein loci
(Albenzio et al., 2009a; Kpper et al., 2010; Moioli et al.,
2007; Sacchi et al., 2005; Roncada et al., 2002): the
casein polymorphism is associated with different casein

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M. Albenzio, A. Santillo / Small Ruminant Research 101 (2011) 3340

synthesis levels and different rate of phosphorylation of

the peptide chain (Albenzio et al., 2009a; Grosclaude et al.,
1994; Martin, 1993; Park et al., 2007). Goat milk from
animals with strong alleles have been associated with
higher cheeses yields and rmer curds than milk from animals with weak alleles (Albenzio et al., 2009a; Clark and
Sherbon, 2000; Tziboula-Clarke, 2003). Also -CN polymorphisms i.e. levels of glycosylation and phosphorylation
affects the susceptibility of goat milk to clotting enzymes
(Amigo et al., 2000) with important technological implication by inuencing the coagulation stages of renneting.
Albenzio et al. (2009a) set a multiple covariance analysis including casein genotype, SCC, goat milk composition
as factors able to account for milk coagulation properties.
Results evidenced that casein genotype was the factor that
accounted for a signicant percentage of the total variability for goat milk renneting parameters (i.e. r, k20 and
a30). The study of goat casein loci permits to differentiate
goat population on the basis of milk utilization: animals
with weak or null casein alleles should be used in breeding programs aimed at producing milk with hypoallergenic
properties and animals with strong alleles to improve quality and properties of milk and related products (Albenzio
et al., 2009a; Roncada et al., 2002; Sacchi et al., 2005).
The knowledge of milk protein genetic variants is more
fragmentary in ovine species and is still limited to s1CN and -LG loci, giving less conclusive results than in
goats (Amigo et al., 2000; Barillet et al., 2005; Moioli et al.,
2007). For their low frequency, the effects of casein polymorphisms on dairy traits or technological properties of
ewe milk are too inconsistent for implementing selection
(Barillet et al., 2005). The study of ewe casein variants
represent an effective approach to identify association to
economic traits to improve sheep breeds for specic milk
protein production (Barillet, 2007; Giambra et al., 2010).
3. Role of indigenous enzymes on cheesemaking
properties of ewe and goat milk
Recent review reported ndings about indigenous enzymatic activity in ovine and caprine milks in relation to
equivalent bovine milk enzyme (Moatsou, 2010). Indigenous enzymes in ewe and goat milk are mainly represented
by plasmin system, cathepsin D, elastase, and lipase. The
study of plasmin system and lipase is well documented
(Albenzio et al., 2004a, 2005a, 2009b; Battacone et al., 2005;
Caroprese et al., 2007; Chvarri et al., 1998; Chilliard et al.,
2003; Cortellino et al., 2006; Fantuz et al., 2001) whereas
cathepsins and elastase in small ruminant have received
attention recently (Albenzio et al., 2009b; Moatsou et al.,
2008; Santillo et al., 2009b).
Indigenous proteolytic enzymes are mainly associated to leukocyte cells: polymorphonuclear neutrophilic
leukocyte (PMNL), macrophages, lymphocytes which are
grouped together with mammary epithelial cells and identied as somatic cells (SC). Plasmin activity is under control
of a complex enzymatic system in which one of the plasminogen activators results associated with somatic cells
(Politis et al., 1991); somatic cells contain lysosomes that
release active proteloytic enzymes i.e. elastase, cathepsin and collagenase (Kelly and McSweeney, 2002). Several

authors have reported that an increase in bovine milk

somatic cell count (SCC) causes an increase in the amount
of milk proteolytic activity which in turn reduces the yield
and quality of cheese (Ali et al., 1980; Grandison and Ford,
1986; Verdi and Barbano, 1991). It is worth to note that
milk from small ruminants is characterized by different
levels of total somatic cells and distribution of leukocyte cell type than bovine milk (Albenzio et al., 2004a,
2009b; Caroprese et al., 2007; Chen et al., 2010; Cuccuru
et al., 1997; Morgante et al., 1996). Recently Albenzio and
Caroprese (2011) reported that polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) represent the main population detected in
ewe milk with high somatic cell count (>1 106 cells/mL)
and that this leukocyte class could be useful to differentiate
ewe milk cell count being strictly responsible for the SCC
increase.
Changes in somatic cell count in ewes and goats milk
are associated with breed, parity, stage of lactation, type
of birth, estrus, diurnal, monthly and seasonal variation (Gonzalo et al., 2005, 2006; Raynal-Ljutovac et al.,
2007). When stage of lactation and level of SCC (<500,000
vs. 1000,000 cells/mL) were evaluated, ewe udder health
rather than physiological status played the main role in
addressing proteolytic activity in ovine milk (Albenzio
et al., 2005a). Stage of lactation represents the most important non-infectious factor associated with rising SCC level
in goat milk (Galina et al., 1996; Wilson et al., 1995; Rota
et al., 1993; Zeng et al., 1997).
Proteolysis in milk occurs in the udder before milking
(Saeman et al., 1988) and during milk storage (Albenzio
et al., 2004a, 2005a, 2009b; Caroprese et al., 2007). Albenzio
et al. (2005a) and Santillo et al. (2009b) studied indigenous protoelytic enzymatic activities on a natural substrate
as ovine sodium caseinate and goat milk, respectively, to
simulate the proteolytic activity in small ruminant milk
during storage prior to cheese manufacturing. In these
research studies the authors evidenced that the total proteolytic activity largely depends on plasmin activity. Several
authors have suggested that if ewes milk has an elevated SCC its cheesemaking properties will deteriorate, i.e.
longer coagulation time and weak coagulum leading to
poor syneresis, increased moisture content, lower cheese
yield, and lower fat contents (Albenzio et al., 2004a, 2005a;
Bencini and Pulina, 1997; Jaeggi et al., 2003; Pellegrini et al.,
1997; Pirisi et al., 1996, 2000).
There is interest in evaluating differential somatic cell
count to determine the role of each leukocyte class on
the level and activity of indigenous proteolytic enzymes.
Caroprese et al. (2007) and Albenzio et al. (2009b) counted
differential somatic cells by means of uocytometry and
isolated the leukocyte classes by immunomagnetic assay to
study the contribution of each cell type to proteolytic activity in ewe milk. Macrophages and neutrophils cells isolated
from early, mid, and late lactation milk were lysed and
incubated on sodium caseinate at different pH (5, 6.5, and
8): macrophages minimally contributed to proteolysis of
principal casein fractions whereas PMNL isolated from mid
and late lactation milk at pH 8 showed a massive caseins
degradation. The authors ascribed this result to the elastase yielded by PMNL with a possible implication on casein
degradation during cheese ripening.

M. Albenzio, A. Santillo / Small Ruminant Research 101 (2011) 3340

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) has an important role in milk

production in the mammary gland. Indigenous LPL catalyses the hydrolysis of triglycerides producing free fatty acids
(FFA). Chandan et al. (1968) reported that lipase activity in
ovine milk is about one-tenth and in goat milk is about onethird than that of bovine milk. The hydrolysis pattern of
ovine milk fat by ovine LPL exhibits a higher rate of hydrolysis towards triglycerides containing medium-chain fatty
acids than towards those containing long chain fatty acids
(Chvarri et al., 1998). Lipolysis in caprine milk results in
the characteristic goat avour due to the strong presence
of C6:0, C8:0, and C10:0 free fatty acids esteried on carbon 3, which are abundant in caprine milk fat (Ha and
Lindsay, 1993). Goat milk lipolysis and LPL activity vary
considerable and in parallel across goat breeds and genotypes (Chilliard et al., 2003); Delacroix-Buchet et al. (1996)
report that LPL activity is higher in goat milk with the weak
s1-CN FF genotype than in the goat milk with the strong
AA genotype.
4. Characteristics of cheese quality
The objective of cheese ripening is to convert the fresh
curd to one of the many cheese varieties with various
appearance, taste, avour, texture, and functionality characteristics. All these are involved in the denition of cheese
quality and are related to the intensity of the ripening process in terms of proteolysis, lipolysis, and glycolysis.
Raw milk compositional and biochemical characteristics, milk technological treatment and renneting process,
curd production, ripening of mature cheese represent a
multiplicity of factors that impact, directly or indirectly, on
the quality of dairy products. Each factor of this complex
system is affected by the activity of enzymes originated
from milk (i.e. indigenous enzymes and microora), coagulants, and starter and non starter microora.
The coagulants used for cheesemaking hydrolyses
casein producing the initial breakdown products from
s- and -CNs at different rate depending on the coagulant used. Regarding indigenous proteolytic enzymes it
has been reported that plasmin acts on -CN and -CN
leading to the formation of the polypeptides 12 3CN and proteose-peptone, and -CN degradation products
(Albenzio et al., 2010). However, the hydrolyses of principal caseins proceeds differently along with ripening time
with -CN products being released within the rst phase of
ripening whereas the cleavage of -CN starts less readily as
an outcome of the different specicity of protolytic agents
towards caseins (Albenzio et al., 2010; Irigoyen et al., 2000;
Revilla et al., 2007).
Casein degradation and casein degradation products
represent an important index of cheese ripening and
describe, together with changes in proteolytic enzyme
activity, a complex pattern of events occurring during
cheese ripening. However, all these parameters are inuenced by several factors therefore they are not easily
related. Albenzio et al. (2004a) found that in ovine fresh
cheese curd the decrease of plasmin (PL) and plasminogen derived (PG) activities coincided with an increase in
non protein nitrogen (NPN) suggesting that NPN molecules
derived from CN hydrolysis may be involved in the

35

regulation of PLPG enzyme system. Furthermore, as

reported in previous studies (Albenzio et al., 2005b, 2010;
Santillo and Albenzio, 2008) changes in the formation of
-CN mainly derived from plasmin activity were not synchronized with the changes in PL activity in the cheese
during ripening.
Cheesemaking technology is one of the main factors able
to affect indigenous enzyme level and activity. In Canestrato pugliese ovine cheese, production protocol includes
heating the curd in hot whey: the rise of temperature can
promote syneresis and inactivation of heat-labile inhibitors
of PL and of PG activators (Albenzio et al., 2007). The inuence of cheesemaking technology on PL and PG activities
in fresh acid cheeses Caprino and Chevre and in semi-hard
cheeses (Tronchetto, Caciotta, and Fiore Sardo) evidenced
that the acid curds had lower PL and PG derived activities
than semi-hard cheeses. Cortellino et al. (2006) ascribed
this result to the effect of the thermal inactivation of the
cooking step on PL inhibitors in semi-hard cheese. Heating of milk at 90 C (whey protein precipitation) removes
inhibitors of PG activators leading to higher levels of PL
activity in Cacioricotta goat cheese (Albenzio et al., 2006).
Salting of fresh curd is a further step able to inuence
enzymatic activity in cheese during ripening; in fact, salting depresses the activity of most of the enzymes in cheese,
including indigenous milk proteinases such as plasmin
(Sutherland, 2003). Fox (2003) reports that hydrolysis of CN is strongly inhibited by a NaCl content in the cheese of
5%. In Canestrato pugliese cheese from ewe milk a salt concentration of about 4% was able to inhibit -CN hydrolysis
as indicated by the limited accumulation of small peptides
ascribed to -CNs over 45 d of ripening (Albenzio et al.,
2004b, 2005b). Also lipolytic activity appears to be limited
at NaCl > 13 g/kg of cheese in Idiazabal cheese made from
raw ewes milk and natural rennet (Njera et al., 1994).
Level of FFA in cheese are an outcome of the lipolytic process occurring in ewe and goat cheeses and depends on the
length of ripening time. Traditional ewe and goat cheeses
are manufactured using lamb and kid rennet paste which
contains lipolytic enzymes that comprise pregastric and
gastric esterases responsible for the liberation of short and
medium chain FFA in the cheese matrix (Jacob et al., 2010).
The balance of different lipases in rennet paste inuences
the lipolytic pattern of cheese during ripening, with a major
content of short chain fatty acids in correspondence to
high content of PGE (Collins et al., 2003). Furthermore, several studies (Albenzio et al., 2001; Gobbetti and Di Cagno,
2003) have reported a higher level of FFA in cheeses made
from raw milk compared to pasteurized or thermal milk.
Beside milk indigenous LPL such differences are attributed
to lipase and esterase activities of the milk microora especially non starter lactic acid bacteria (NSLAB).
5. Cheese avour
Flavour of cheese is determined by its taste and aroma
and results from the correct balance and concentration of
numerous sapid and aromatic compounds perceived during cheese consumption. Proteolysis and lipolysis are of
great importance in the development of cheese avour
and are ruled by the residual milk clotting enzyme, milk

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M. Albenzio, A. Santillo / Small Ruminant Research 101 (2011) 3340

proteinase and lipase, proteolytic and lipolytic enzymes

from starter and non starter bacteria, and lipases associated to certain coagulants (Collins et al., 2003; Visser,
1993). However, excessive proteolysis and lipolysis could
result in off-avours because high concentrations of bitter peptides and volatile FFA, respectively, inuence cheese
avour either directly or as precursors of other compounds
(Broadbent et al., 2002; Pinho et al., 2004). The amino acids
liberated in the cheese matrix during secondary proteolysis
undergo further catabolic reactions which involve decarboxylation, deamination, transammination, desulfuration
leading to the production of compounds such as amines,
acids, and thiols. It is accepted that FFA, especially short
chain FFA, have a direct impact on cheese avour, FFAs also
act as precursor molecules which lead to the production of
other avour compounds, such as methylketones, esters,
fatty acids lactones and alcohols (McSweeney and Sousa,
2000; Tziboula-Clarke, 2003). Diet is a main factor affecting the odor of fresh milk because odorous substances may
be transferred to the milk (i) directly to inhaled air into the
blood and from there to the milk and (ii) by direct absorption from the digestive tract; and (iii) via rumen gases
to the blood and milk. Moio et al. (1996) identied two
sesquiterpenes in milk and cheese produced from sheep
fed on a natural pasture being these constituent of signicance for their role in determining milk and cheese avour
and as chemical markers of the milk used to make cheese.
Luna et al. (2005) reported that the organoleptic characteristics of cheeses made from CLA-enriched milk, from
ewes fed linseed supplements, did not differ from control
cheeses.
Processing milk with high SCC is associated with an
increase in the proteolysis rate and a modication of cheese
proteolytic pattern (Coulon et al., 2004). The contribution
of indigenous proteinases in the development of cheese
avour have a possible negative implication for the accumulation of bitter peptides which are gradually formed
by further degradation of -CN compounds (Visser, 1993).
Revilla et al. (2007) reported a lower overall acceptance of
ewe hard cheese made with high SCC milk compared to
medium and low SCC nding that the former was judge as
weakly bonded, very grainy, and crumbly. On the contrary,
Pirisi et al. (1996, 2000) did not found signicant differences in sensory characteristics and lipolyis comparing ewe
cheeses made from milk with low and high somatic cell
count. Accordingly, also in goat milk Jaubert et al. (1996)
and Morgan and Gaspard (1999) found a minor effect of SCC
on the goatish avour that is instead mainly inuenced by
cheesemaking technology, in particular ripening methods.
Lamb rennet paste contains lipolytic enzymes which
initiate free fatty acid formation (Bustamante et al., 2000;
Santillo et al., 2007b; Virto et al., 2003) thus giving the
cheeses a sharp, piquant aroma; in particular butyric acid
contributes to the cheesy lipolyzed aroma (Pinho et al.,
2004). Agboola et al. (2004) investigated the formation
of bitter peptides, dened as peptides with a molecular
mass of 1656500 g/mol, in semi hard ovine cheese: the
results showed that cheese made with Rhizomucor miehei
developed more bitter peptides compared to calf rennet. In
general, the coagulant also inuences the development of
bitterness by an excessively high activity which depends

on its level and retention in cheese curd; in addition the

presence of certain starter i.e. lactococci have a propensity
to cause bitterness (Fox et al., 2000).
In ovine and caprine cheese the addition of starter and
probiotic cultures (Albenzio et al., 2001, 2010; Corbo et al.,
2001; Kalavrouzioti et al., 2005; Santillo and Albenzio,
2008; Santillo et al., 2007a, 2009a) has been associated
with an increased proteolysis and lipolysis. These cheeses
were tested for sensory attributes by a panel of non trained
consumers. The result showed an absence of perceived sensory attributes in ovine cheese whereas avour and general
acceptance of caprine cheese had higher scores than the
control cheese.
High pressure treatment of goat milk destined to cheese
production (Saldo et al., 2003) had no negligible changes
on the volatile composition therefore pressure can be
regarded as a safe technology not producing unexpected
compounds in milk and cheese.
6. Cheese rheology and texture
Cheese texture may be dened as a composite sensory attribute resulting from a combination of physical
properties and perceived by the senses of sight, touch,
and hearing (Pinho et al., 2004). While these attributes
are manifested during cheese consumption, mechanical
properties of cheese are determined by the application
of a xed stress or strain (i.e. compression, shearing,
or cutting) to a sample of cheese under dened experimental conditions. These properties are related to the
composition, microstructure (i.e. the structural arrangement of its components), the physico-chemical state of
its components, and its macrostructure, which reects the
presence of heterogeneities such as curd granule junction,
cracks and ssures, level of fat coalescence, solid fat:liquid
ratio, degree of hydrolysis and hydration of the paracasein matrix, and level of intermolecular attraction between
paracasein molecules (Fox et al., 2000).
Manufacturing process is able to inuence cheese structure thus it is closely related to the rheological parameters
of cheese. In general, the rheological characteristics differ
markedly with the cheese variety and its age. The changes
occurred in the structural component of cheese matrix are
mediated by the residual rennet, microorganisms and their
enzymes and changes in mineral equilibria between the
serum and paracasein matrix. Chymosin, the primary proteolytic agent has been associated with softening of cheese
texture via hydrolysis of s1-I-CN (Albenzio et al., 2010).
Semi-hard goat cheese manufactured using artisanal kid
rennet paste was found to have a slightly harder, crumbly
and gritty texture than cheese made with commercial rennet due to the lower proteolysis observed and this was
reected in less softening of the cheese mass (Fontecha
et al., 2006). Pecorino cheeses produced using traditional
rennet paste or rennet paste containing probiotic displayed different rheological parameters as a consequence
of the degree of casein breakdown observed during ripening (Santillo and Albenzio, 2008). The use of selected strains
of lactic acid bacteria for cheese production promotes rennet activity by reducing milk pH, aids the expulsion of whey
from the curd thus reducing the moisture content of the

M. Albenzio, A. Santillo / Small Ruminant Research 101 (2011) 3340

cheese (Fox et al., 2000). Level of pH also plays an important

role in cheese texture: as the pH of cheese curds decreases,
there is a concomitant loss of colloidal calcium phosphate
from the casein submicelles with a progressive dissociation
of the submicelles into smaller casein aggregates at a pH
value below 5.5 (Lebecque et al., 2001). Upreti et al. (2006)
found that the disaggregation of casein micelles exposes a
larger surface area of proteins to proteinases and leads to
an increase in enzymesubstrate interaction. It has been
shown that high acidity, protein, and total solids contents
generally make the cheese harder and less easily deformed
(Kehagias et al., 1995).
Park et al. (2007) and Revilla et al. (2007) reported
important changes in the texture of cheese from milk with
SCC over 2.5 106 cells/mL: low WarnerBratzler Shear
Force (WBSF) values in cheese were related to the increase
in proteolysis and to the higher amounts of s1-I-CN.
Chen et al. (2010) reported lower hardness and higher
springiness in semi soft goat cheese made from milk with
SCC < 5 105 cells/mL than those made from milk with SCC
between 1 106 cells/mL and 1.5 106 cells/mL. The lower
WBSF was perceived as a textural defect by consumers;
they also found non desirable tastes in the same cheese that
was ascribed to the higher -casein hydrolysis which produced bitter peptides together with the texture softening.
Martn-Hernndez and Juarez (1992) compared semi-hard
washed curd cheeses with semi-hard goat cheese. They
found in the former a lower increase in hardness during
ripening, which was ascribed to an increased proteolysis,
expressed as higher water soluble nitrogen (WSN) and CN degradation, occurring in the washed curd cheese.
7. Biofunctional compounds in small ruminant
dairy products
Milk contains various components, mainly associated
with proteic and lipidic molecules, recognized as biofuncional components. Biofuncionality is a new and much
unexplored research eld which could be of particular signicance for the exploitation of small ruminant production.
Park et al. (2007) reviewed the sequence of bioactive peptides and their biological activity from ovine and caprine
milk proteins. Genetic polymorphism in ewe and goat milk
protein associated with different milk protein composition
may be responsible for the generation of wide spectrum
of casein derived peptides (Korhonen and Pihlanto, 2006;
Meisel, 1997).
Peptides derived from milk proteins, which are inactive within the sequence of the precursor protein, can
be released by enzymatic proteolysis for instance, during cheese ripening (Gmez-Ruiz et al., 2004). Proteolytic
enzymes naturally occurring in milk, and enzymes from
lactic acid bacteria or from exogenous sources contribute
to the generation of bioactive peptides (Smacchi and
Gobbetti, 2000). The identication of these peptides in
dairy products is a difcult task because milk protein can
release hundreds of different peptides sequences upon
hydrolyzation. Santillo et al. (2009b) investigated the
effects of indigenous proteolytic enzymes on the release
of bioactive peptides from goat milk using different proteolytic enzymes inhibitors. The authors found that both goat

37

milk incubated without inhibitors and such milk incubated

with inhibitors of acid proteases (pepstatin) showed several peptides with potential bioactivity deriving from and s2 -CN.
Silva et al. (2006) found several peptides with potential ACE inhibitor and antioxidant activities in WSN extract
obtained from raw and sterilized ovine and caprine cheese
like system coagulated with enzymes from the plant Cynara
cardunculus.
In a commercial Ker made from caprine milk Quirs
et al. (2005) showed potent ACE-inhibitory properties
ascribed to two peptides resistant to a simulated digestion.
In Manchego ovine cheese manufactured using selected
bacteria strains Gmez-Ruiz et al. (2002) reported various
ACE inhibitor peptides.
Breeding system of ewe and goat is characterized by
the use of pasture that enrich milk of conjugated linoleic
acid (CLA) (Addis et al., 2005; Cabiddu et al., 2006; Chilliard
et al., 2005; Collomb et al., 2006; Luna et al., 2005; Nudda
et al., 2005). There are relatively few studies on the effects
of processing technology on CLA enriched milk and they
are about cows milk. A modied FA prole can inuence
several of the physical and chemical properties of dairy
products (Collomb et al., 2006). Diet able to enrich CLA content in cow milk did not have any adverse effect on the
sensory properties of pasteurized milk (Ramaswamy et al.,
2001) and on colour and avour stability of heat treated
milk (pasteurized and UHT) (Avramis et al., 2003; Lynch
et al., 2005). On the other hand, CLA-enriched milk has been
shown to have a reduced fat globule and casein micelle size
as well as altered protein distribution of the casein micelles,
which may affect its cheesemaking properties (Avramis
et al., 2003).

8. Conclusion
Quantitative and qualitative traits of casein and indigenous enzymes of ewe and goat milk are able to inuence
milk processing ability and quality of cheese. Limited
research has been carried out on the relationship between
milk casein genetic variants and cheesemaking properties
in ovine milk. Regarding proteolytic indigenous enzymes
in ewe and goat milk little is known about their impact on
cheese ripening and avour that represents an important
cheese characteristic related to consumers acceptability.
Further knowledge of casein and indigenous enzymes of
ewe and goat will enhance the study about bio functionality
in the view of valorising milk and dairy products from small
ruminants.

Conict of interest
None of the authors (Marzia Albenzio, Antonella Santillo) has a nancial or personal relationship with other
people or organisations that could inappropriately inuence or bias the paper entitled Biochemical characteristics
of ewe and goat milk: effect on the quality of dairy products.

38

M. Albenzio, A. Santillo / Small Ruminant Research 101 (2011) 3340

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