Nutritional quality of soft cheese made from milk of West African Dwarf (WAD) does fed guinea grass (<i>Panicum maximum</i>) substituted with leaves of mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of cheese made from milk of West African Dwarf (WAD) does fed diets containing guinea grass (Panicum maximum) substituted with leaves of mulberry (Morus alba) at varying levels. Sixteen lactating does of weight range between 15 to 19 kg were used for this experiment. The animals were divided into four groups consisting of four animals per group in a completely randomized design. The experiment lasted for eight weeks in which milk was collected from the animals and was used to produce cheese. The yield of cheese increased from 15.60 – 18.00% with increased M. alba leaves. Values ranged from 6.11 – 6.78 pH, 0.13 – 0.18% total titratable acidity, total solids declined from 28.79% in the control sample to 30.96% at 50% M. alba leaves proportion substituted cheese sample. Proximate composition of cheese was also influenced by increased substitution level of M. alba leaves in the diets of the does whose milk were used in the production of the cheese sampled. Moisture, protein, ash, and fat contents of cheese ranged from 69.04 – 71.21%, 11.59 – 18.89%, 1.08 – 2.15% and 1.43 – 1.98% respectively. There were significant differences (p<0.05) in mineral contents of cheese. Microbial analysis showed that the product was safe for consumption. Feeding of M. alba did not have any negative effect on the cheese produced from milk obtained from WAD goats.