Sesame meal as substitute to soybean meal in Sicilo-Sarde ewes’ diet: Effects on milk yield and composition, cheese yield and sensory attributes

Yathreb Yagoubi; Ilyes Mekki; Takoua Jlassi; Samia Ben said; Mokhtar Mahouachi; Naziha Atti; Samir Smeti

Yathreb Yagoubi INRA-Tunisia
Ilyes Mekki
Takoua Jlassi
Samia Ben said
Mokhtar Mahouachi
Naziha Atti
Samir Smeti

Keywords: Sesame meal, Milk yield, Cheese, sensory quality, Sicilo-Sarde

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of substituting soybean meal with sesame meal in the diet of Sicilo-Sarde ewes on feed intake, milk production and composition as well as cheese yield and sensory properties. For that, thirty multiparous ewes were assigned to three homogeneous groups based on their initial milk production. All ewes received received individually 2 kg of oat hay and 700 g of concentrate. Three types of concentrate were offered: a control concentrate (C) and two experimental concentrates containing sesame meal (SM) that substituted soybean meal (SBM) at rates of 50 (SM50) and 100% (SM100). During the trial which lasted 60 days, all ewes had free access to water throughout the day. Ewes’ milk yield was recorded weekly. Milk composition, cheese yield and quality were also determined.

Total dry matter intake was similar across groups. Also, milk production was unaffected (p>0.05) by the type of concentrate, averaging 285, 298 and 278 ml/ day for C, SM50, and SM100, respectively. The higher milk fat content was observed in SM50 group (8.1%; p<0.05) compared to the control (7.5%) and SM100 (7.4%). However, protein content, lactose and pH remained stable across all diets. Individual cheese yield was not significantly affected by dietary treatment but increased over time. Cheese chemical composition was affected by the diet and the highest dry matter and protein contents occurred for C group (51.86% and 17.57%, respectively). Substituting soybean meal with sesame meal had no significant effect on cheese firmness, elasticity, texture, color, or bitterness (p>0.05). Nevertheless, the substitution rate of 50% increased aroma intensity and saltiness. These results suggest that substituting soybean meal with sesame meal could improve milk composition without adversely affecting milk or cheese yield, offering a promising alternative for enhancing dairy sheep nutrition.