Effect of Supplementation with Organic Selenium or Turmeric and Rosemary Mixture on Beta-Defensin Content in Goat Milk

SIMPLE SUMMARY: At present, the growing interest of consumers in food products from animals raised in organic conditions has become evident. Combining organic farming with the highest care for animals’ welfare remains, however, extremely challenging. Functional food additives, such as herbs and spices, may enhance the immune system of animals and render them more resistant to pathogens. Furthermore, they may also increase animal productivity and positively modify milk properties. Goat milk is considered a healthy food for humans. Raising goats in accordance with strict organic farming principles may even further improve their quality. Therefore, it is crucial to develop and implement animal feeding systems that positively affect their productivity and reduce the need for the use of antibiotics. We hypothesize that adding herbs and spices or selenized yeast may enhance the resistance of the mammary gland to infections with pathogenic microorganisms by increasing the level of defensins in milk. Moreover, we investigate the effect of such functional food additives on the composition of goat milk. ABSTRACT: The present study examines the effects of diet supplementation with an organic selenium or herb-spice mixture on beta-defensin1 (GBD-1) and beta-defensin2 (GBD-2) concentrations in goat milk. Herd-I, consisting of Polish White (PWI) and Fawn Improved (PFI) goats, received supplementation with organic or inorganic selenium (controls). All goats were free from parasites, mastitis, and small ruminant lentivirus infection. Herd-II, consisting of PWI goats, either received a turmeric-rosemary mixture (experimental) or not (controls). The Herd I control group demonstrated higher fat, free fatty acid, and somatic cell levels and lower protein and lactose contents than Herd II controls. The GBD-1 concentration was below the detection limit in both herds. Herd I controls demonstrated higher GBD-2 concentrations in milk than Herd II controls. In addition, lower GBD-2 concentrations were noted in PWI goat milk. Organic selenium or rosemary-turmeric mixture supplementation had no effect on the GBD-2 content in the milk of healthy goats. The higher GBD-2 concentration observed in Herd Ic than in Herd IIc may suggest that the type of basal diet affects defensin secretion.