Effects of feeding diets supplemented with fungus myceliated grains on some production, health and oxidation traits of dairy ewes

The beneficial properties of mushrooms’ bioactive compounds indicate their potential use as performance-enhancing natural additive for livestock animals. A study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of diets supplemented with fungus myceliated grains (FMG) fed to dairy ewes on intestinal parasite load, milk production, milk fatty acid (FA) composition and cheese oxidative stability. During an eight-week experimental period, 21 Valle del Belice lactating ewes were divided into three groups, named FMG20, FMG10 and FMG0, which were fed with hay ad libitum and 1.3 kg/day per head of one of three concentrates with 20%, 10% or 0% of FMG, respectively. The ewes fed FMG at the highest level (20%) showed a comparable dry matter (DM) and nutrients intake, a reduction in intestinal parasite infection, a tendency to increase milk yield, a higher milk casein content (4.78% vs 4.32% and 4.27% in FMG20, FMG10 and FMG0, respectively; P<0.05), and produced cheese with less intense yellow colour and lower secondary lipid oxidation in comparison with FMG10 and FMG0 groups; a higher antioxidant capacity (17.83 vs 9.97 and 9.18 mmol trolox eq/kg DM, in FMG20, FMG10 and FMG0, respectively; P<0.001) was observed, suggesting a major oxidative stability of cheese fat and probably enrichment of cheese with antioxidant compounds inherent in or induced by FMG. The inclusion of FMG in the diet did not affect the content of health-promoting polyunsaturated FA in milk, with the exception of n-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) that was found only in milk from FMG-treated livestock animals. These promising results merit further investigations into the potential use of medicinal mushrooms to enhance animal health and production.