Effect of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Malva sylvestris on Milk Quality and Fatty Acid Profile and Blood Biochemical Parameters in the Lactating Najdi Goats

This study evaluated the effects of different levels of hydroalcoholic extract of Malva sylvestris (MHE) supplementation on milk production, composition, fatty acid characteristics, microbial load, antioxidant activity, and blood biochemical parameters in Najdi dairy goats. Twelve goats with an average weight of 26 kg in early lactation were divided into three groups: 1) control group (basal diet), 2) treatment group one (basal diet+0.2% MHE), and 3) treatment group two (basal diet+0.4% MHE). The MHE was prepared using 70% ethanol from dried and ground Malva sylvestris. The experiment lasted for 37 days, which included a 7-day adaptation period and a 30-day experimental period. Daily milk production was recorded, and milk samples were analyzed weekly. At the end of the experiment, the milk and blood parameters, fatty acid profiles, microbial load, and antioxidant capacity were evaluated. The results indicated that supplementa-tion with MHE significantly increased daily milk production, antioxidant activity of the milk, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), atherogenic indices (AI), thrombotic indices (TI), and milk density. Conversely, micro-bial load and various fatty acid ratios, including hypocholesterolemic to hypercholesterolemic fatty acids, significantly decreased (P<0.05). Parameters such as milk protein, lactose, glucose, and blood lipids were not significantly affected (P>0.05), although high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels varied among treat-ments. Notably, fatty acids C4, C6, C8:1, C15:1, and C18:3 showed significant differences (P<0.05). This study concluded that MHE supplementation at a concentration of 0.2% enhances milk production, antioxi-dant activity, and short-chain fatty acids in milk while simultaneously reducing milk microbial load in Najdi goats.