Milk and dairy products have been consumed for thousands of years and their impact against chronic diseases has been extensively studied. However, there is no clear understanding yet of the link of dairy lipids (e.g. triglycerides, polyunsaturated fatty acids and phospholipids) with inflammation and how the food matrix impacts this link. Fermented dairy products (e.g. yoghurt, kefir, cheese) have strong anti-inflammatory activities and these activities are discussed here in relation to the structures of their lipids and the food matrix. Dairy lipids are particularly effective against a number of diseases that develop over a number of years and coined as chronic diseases (i.e. cardiovascular diseases, cancer, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus type 2). Today there is some understanding as to the underlying mechanisms of how dairy lipids inhibit chronic diseases, the biochemical pathways that are involved in the development of chronic diseases and also on how to control them and ultimately inhibit them. The role of dairy lipids against the onset and development of these diseases is vital and it is discussed here. This article addresses the lack of a clear link between dairy lipids, food matrix and chronic diseases and suggests ways of future research.

Afşin Kocakaya, DVM, PhD, Ankara University, Turkey Professor Nicole Kemper, PhD, Veterinary University of Hannover, Germany Poultry Science and Management is calling for submissions to our Collection on "Improving Poultry Husbandry and Welfare: Considerations for Population Density, Building Design, and Bone Health".

Moringa oleifera L. and Salvia hispanica L. are plants known to possess nutritional and medicinal properties, especially in bioactive compounds (antioxidants), which could be used to generate functional foods. The present study investigated the effect of M. oleifera leaves and S. hispanica seeds on yogurt’s antioxidant activity and microbial viability during 21 days of storage at 4 °C. Peptide content, pH changes, lactic acid content, and the microbial viability of lactic acid bacteria were analyzed on days 0, 7, 14, and 21. Antioxidant activity was determined by the 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methods. Total phenolic compounds were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu technique. During storage, treatments showed post-acidification, with lactic acid accumulation (1.30 to 1.80 lactic acid percentages) and pH values close 4.0. Compared to the other treatments, the mix treatment showed significantly (p < 0.05) elevated antioxidant activity, with 97.03 ± 1.2% free radical scavenging capacity in the ABTS assay at the end of storage. Regarding phenolic compounds, the Mix treatment obtained a concentration of 313.80 ± 15.71 mg GAE/100 g of yogurt, compared to the other treatments, which presented lower concentrations at the end of storage. In the DPPH assay, the treatment added with M. oleifera presented higher antioxidant activity on day 14 of cold storage with a free radical scavenging capacity of 23.15 ± 0.92% compared to the other treatments. The highest peptide concentration shown during cold storage of the treatments was in the Mix treatment during days 7, 14, and 21, with values of 26.86 ± 2.19, 37.34 ± 5.94, and 34.71 ± 1.33 mg leucine/100 g yogurt, respectively. The added treatment with M. oleifera showed increased lactic acid bacteria viability up to day 14 of refrigerated storage with a maximum value of 4.75 × 107 (CFU/ml) compared to the other treatments. These findings indicate that M. oleifera and S. hispanica influences the physicochemical properties of yogurt during storage for 21 days at 4 °C, affecting parameters such as pH, titratable acidity, LAB viability, peptide content and antioxidant capacity. These modifications can impact the stability and functionality of yogurt, making it a potential candidate studies in the field of functional foods.

Nicola Blackie, PhD, Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom Thomas Zanon, PhD, Free University of Bolzano-Bozen, Italy Dairy Science & Management is calling for submissions to our Collection on Assessing Animal Welfare in Dairy Farming: Insights on Housing and Management Practices.