AMINO ACID PROFILE OF MILK FROM THREE INDIGENOUS BREEDS OF GOATS RAISED UNDER SEMI-INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the amino acid profile of milk from three indigenous breeds of goats. A total of thirty goats, comprising ten each of Sahel, Red Maradi, and West African dwarf, were used for the study. The animals were carefully selected from those that had gone through their first parity. For the study, five (5) milliliters of milk were collected from each of the experimental animals and carefully identified according to their breeds for milk amino acid profiling. Results from the study showed that West African dwarf goat milk had significantly (p<0.05) higher values in all eighteen milk amino acids (essential and non-essential) profiled. Leucine was most abundant among the amino acids in the milk collected, with values of 7.75 g/100g, 8.68 g/100g, and 10.86 g/100g for Sahel, Red Maradi, and West African Dwarf, respectively. Whereas methionine had the least values of 1.28 g/100g (Sahel), 2.00 g/100g (Red Maradi), and 3.21 g/100g (WAD). The principal component of milk amino acids in experimental goats showed higher loading for all the traits in the West African dwarf goat, followed by the Sahel and Red Maradi goats. Therefore, West African dwarf goats can be considered the best for milk amino acid composition. This study therefore recommends that farmers use more of the West African dwarf goat breed from the indigenous breeds available to obtain goodquality milk owing to its superiority in most of the milk amino acids evaluated in this study. This will make for better exploration and improvement of the breeding potential.