Tibetan Plateau yak milk: A comprehensive review of nutritional values, health benefits, and processing technology

• Published in: Food Chemistry: X 2023-12, Vol.20, p.100919-100919, Article 100919
• Main Authors: Li, Aili, Liu, Chuan, Han, Xueting, Zheng, Jie, Zhang, Guofang, Qi, Xiaoxi, Du, Peng, Liu, Libo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Health benefits; Microbial diversity; Production performance; Yak dairy products; Yak milk
• ISSN: 2590-1575; 2590-1575
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2023.100919

•CiteSpace 6.1. R2 can co-interpret the research on yak milk.•The feeding management, nutrition composition and microbial diversity of yak milk were systematically reviewed.•Yak milk and its products have various biological activities.•The processing and preparation of traditional fermented yak dairy products were reviewed. Yak milk is a characteristic animal product of yaks in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Although yak milk production is low, it is richer in nutrients such as protein, fat, and lactose, a more comprehensive range of bioactive components, and unique microbial resources than Holstein cow milk. The plateau environment makes yak milk resistant to hypoxia, anti-fatigue, antioxidant, antibacterial, and relieves chronic diseases. In this paper, based on the systematic analysis of yak milk research results in the past 20 years using CiteSpace 6.1.R2, we reviewed yak lactation performance and nutritional efficacy of yak milk. This paper summarizes the improvement of traditional yak dairy processing technology, and also focuses on the microbial diversity of yak milk sources and their beneficial effects. The purpose of this review is to provide scientific support for the development of a quality yak milk industry on the Tibetan plateau.