Nutrigenomics: A tool to unlock genetic potential of Nigerian indigenous goat breeds.

Abstract

Nigerian indigenous goats represent a valuable genetic resource for meat and milk production. However, their productivity often falls below their genetic potential because of sub-optimal nutrition. Nutrigenomics offers a revolutionary approach to bridge this gap by exploring the interactions between nutrients and goat genes. This study explores how nutrigenomic tools can be used to identify gene variants associated with feed efficiency, meat quality, and milk production. Various technologies are designed to ensure the realization of genetic potential. Nutrigenomics is aimed at exploiting the noncoding section of an individual's genome, which is disregarded in traditional animal nutrient requirement assessment. Nutrigenomic technology has the potential to unlock the genetic potential of animals and essentially help to confront nutritional challenges and sub-optimal use of available feed resources, particularly in Nigerian indigenous goats, of which there is a dearth of information on their nutritional needs and requirements. This review discusses the potential of nutrigenomics to unlock the genetic potential of Nigerian indigenous goats. In addition, the review discusses the challenges and future directions of nutrigenomic research in Nigerian goats. By implementing nutrigenomic strategies, Nigerian goat production can be revolutionized, leading to increased productivity, improved product quality, and enhanced farmer livelihoods. It is hoped that this review will provide vital information to aid research into the nutrigenomics potential of unlocking the genetic potentials and reproductive performance of Nigerian indigenous goats through nutrition.