Characterization of bioactive compounds and element content in goat milk and cheese products

Goat milk and cheese are popular dairy products known for their nutritional value and distinct flavors. The presence of bioactive compounds such as carotenoids and volatile compounds in these products contributes to their sensory characteristics and potential health benefits. This study aims to compare the content of bioactive compounds in goat milk and the cheese that it was produced thereof. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) equipped with diode array detector (DAD) was used for the quantification of beta carotene and lutein content. Lutein content in milk samples displayed higher values ranged between 0.11 and 0.25 mg/100g per sample, compared to cheese samples. Beta carotene was not detected in neither of the matrices. For the identification of volatile compounds, Solid Phase Microextraction/Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (SPME/GCMS) were used. The volatile compounds detected, were classified into terpenes, ketones, aldehydes, acids and esters. Esters constituted the most abundant group of compounds in all samples. The simultaneous analysis of these compounds provides valuable insights into the nutritional composition, flavor profiles, and potential health benefits of goat cheese and milk. At last, the major elements comparison of milk and cheese products, including Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Magnesium (Mg), Chlorine (Cl) and Sulfur (S), were quantitatively measured across all samples using a wavelength dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WD-XRF) to establish their elemental profiles. Milk samples exhibited higher concentrations of Potassium. Conversely, cheese products displayed elevated levels on all the other elements.