Amiata Donkeys: Fat Globule Characteristics, Milk Gross Composition and Fatty Acids

Amiata donkeys are a native breed reared in central Italy. Safeguarding native donkey breeds represents an opportunity for the development of marginal areas, especially given that donkey milk is now appearing on the market due to its potential benefits for human health. To date, only a few studies h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Italian journal of animal science 2014-01, Vol.13 (1), p.3118-ijas.2014.3118
Main Authors: Martini, Mina, Altomonte, Iolanda, Salari, Federica
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amiata breed
Casein
Donkey
Dry matter
Fatty acids
Lactation
Lactose
Milk
Milk fat globule membranes
Milk fat globules
Milk quality
Milk quality, Milk fat globules, Donkey, Amiata breed
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Summary:Amiata donkeys are a native breed reared in central Italy. Safeguarding native donkey breeds represents an opportunity for the development of marginal areas, especially given that donkey milk is now appearing on the market due to its potential benefits for human health. To date, only a few studies have focused on the characteristics of the milk fat globules (MFGs) in the donkey species. The aim of this study was to assess the morphometric characteristics of the fat globules, gross composition and fatty acid classes in milk from Amiata donkeys reared according to the typical farming and feeding systems of the area of origin. Individual milk samples, collected from 28 Amiata donkeys between 90 and 150 days of lactation, showed the following average composition (g/100 mL): 9.47 dry matter, 1.63 protein, 0.78 casein, 0.53 fat, 7.12 lactose, and 0.36 ash. The unsaturated:saturated fatty acids ratio in milk was close to 1. The percentage of short chains was 12.29, and the percentage of long chain fatty acids was 47.64. The donkey MFGs showed an average diameter of 1.92 μm, and a number of 2.18*10 9 /mL. Regarding MFG distribution, 70% of the globules donkey of milk are smaller than 2 μm. In conclusion, the gross composition and fatty acids of Amiata donkey milk showed similarities with milk from other Italian donkey breeds, with the exception of the monounsaturated fatty acid values which were slightly higher. Donkey MFGs had a smaller diameter and were fewer than in the ruminant species.
ISSN:1828-051X
1594-4077
1828-051X
DOI:10.4081/ijas.2014.3118