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The effect of dietary iodine supplementation in dairy goats on milk production traits and milk iodine content

A. Nudda^*,1, G. Battacone^*, M. Decandia, M. Acciaro, F. Aghini-Lombardi, M. Frigeri and G. Pulina^*,

^* Dipartimento di Scienze Zootecniche, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Agricultural Research Agency of Sardinia–AGRIS Sardegna, Loc. Bonassai, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Dipartimento di Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy

¹ Corresponding author: anudda{at}uniss.it

Dairy products offer an important source of iodine for humans, particularly infants and children. An adequate iodine content in the diet of lactating animals must guarantee a suitable milk iodine concentration. In this experiment, the effects of iodine supplementation of dairy goat diets on the iodine concentration, milk yield, and milk composition of goat milk were studied. Thirty crossbred dairy goats of the Sarda population were divided into 3 groups supplemented with 0 (control group), 0.45 (group 1), or 0.90 (group 2) mg of KI/d per goat. The dose of KI (76.5% of iodine) was dissolved in water and orally administered with a syringe every day for 10 wk. Mean milk iodine concentrations were 60.1 ± 50.5, 78.8 ± 55.4, and 130.2 ± 62.0 µg/L (mean ± SD) in the control group, group 1, and group 2, respectively. The extent of iodine enrichment in milk was approximately 31% in group 1 and 117% in group 2 compared with the control group. Milk yield was not influenced by KI supplementation and averaged 1,229, 1,227, and 1,179 g/d in groups 0, 1, and 2, respectively. Milk urea nitrogen concentration was significantly lower in the KI-supplemented groups (32 and 33 mg/dL in groups 1 and 2, respectively) than in the control group (37 mg/dL). Iodine supplementation of dairy goat diets can increase milk iodine content without adverse effects on milk production traits.

Key Words: milk • iodine • dairy goat