Donkey milk (DM) is produced by the female animals of the house donkey (Equus asinus). DM is known for their nutritional and nutraceutical properties for human consumption. DM compared to milk from other dairy animals such cow, buffalo, goat and sheep is most likely to resemble human breast milk. The average daily milk yield of a female donkey over the entire lactation season is 1.57 kg/day and fluctuated between 0.20 and 6.00 kg/day. Furthermore, the average milk concentration of fat, protein, lactose, total solids and ash in DM are 0.63%, 1.71%, 6.34%, 9.11% and 0.39%, respectively. It is noteworthy that DM is rich in whey proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid C18:2 and linolenic acid C18:3 and vitamin C. In addition, the average lysozyme concentration of DM is approximately 1.07 g/L, similar to human milk (0.30-1.10 g/L). The high lysozyme content may be the cause of low bactarial count of DM and also makes this milk useful for preventing intestinal infections in infants. Due to the significantly lower casein content, many people with a cows milk protein allergy can tolerate DM, as they find DM do not trigger an allergy reaction.
Location | Breed or Type | Daily Milk Yield (kg/day) |
Range of Milk Yield (kg/day) | Reference |
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Group | Milking | Milk Yield per Milking (mL) | |||||
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Ash | (%) | pH | Reference | Number/day | Interval (h) | ||
Daily Milk Yield * | (kg/day) |
Fat (%) | Protein (%) | Lactose (%) | SCC ** (log 10 n × 103/mL) |
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Mean | Range | ||||||
Africa | Local type | 1.50 | * | [6] | |||
346.0 ± 7.2 | a | 40–1220 | China | Jiangyue | 3.00 (4 milkings/day) | 2.20–3.30 | [23] |
2 | China | Jiangyue | 1.28 ± 0.17 | ||||
[ | |||||||
14 | |||||||
] | |||||||
Italy | |||||||
1 | 1 |
Water-Soluble Vitamins | Fat-Soluble Vitamins | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vitamin | Concentration µM/L |
Vitamin | Concentration µg/100 mL |
|||||||||
B1 (thiamine) | 0.66 | 3 | ||||||||||
3 | 3 | 512.2 ± 7.6 | b | 50–1500 | ||||||||
1.16–1.54 | [ | 1 | ] | |||||||||
Croatia | Littoral Dinaric | 0.17 (1 milking/day) | * | [25] | ||||||||
Croatia | ||||||||||||
0.16 | 1.40 | * | * | 8.74 | * | 7.03–7.06 | [34] | |||||
Spring | 1.85 a*** | 0.39 ab | 1.93 b | 6.65 a | 5.35 a | Vitamin A | 58.00 µg/100 mL | |||||
0.28 ± 0.05 | 1.59 ± 0.02 | 0.72 | 6.73 ± 0.06 | 8.91 ± 0.03 | 0.32 ± 0.02 | 7.01 ± 0.01 | ||||||
Summer | 1.44 b | 0.23 b | ||||||||||
B2 (riboflavin) | 0.17 | 1.81 | ab | 6.05 c | 24.05 b | [ | 36] | |||||
Vitamin D | 2.23 µg/100 mL | 1.16 | 1.57 | |||||||||
Autumn | 1.41 | 0.82 | 6.33 | 9.53 | 0.40 | 7.18 | b | 0.38 ab[1] | ||||
1.78 | a | 6.34 | bc | 9.210 | a | |||||||
B3 (niacin) | 18.75 | Vitamin E | 5.20 µg/100 mL | 0.44 ± 0.10 | 1.9 ± 0.02 | 0.88 | 6.40 ± 0.10 | * | * | |||
Winter | 1.47 b | 0.50 | * | a | 1.92 b | |||||||
B6 (pyridoxine) | 5.38 | 6.50 | ab | [ | 21 | ] | Vitamin K | * | Istrian | 0.75 ± 0.30 (1 milking/day) | ||
24.60 | b | * | [ | 26] | ||||||||
0.33 | 1.55 | * | ||||||||||
B9 (folic acid) | 6.28 | 0.83 | 8.80 | * | * | [25] | Littoral Dinaric | 0.32 ± 0.15 (1 milking/day) |
* | [ | ||
0.49 ± 0.02 | 2.03 ± 0.15 | 26 | *] | |||||||||
5.70 ± 0.14 | 10.71 ± 0.64 | 0.42 ± 0.02 | 7.16 ± 0.02 | [ | 37 | ] | ||||||
B12 (cyanocobalamin) | India | Local type | 1.00 | * | [7] | |||||||
Amiata | 0.70 ± 0.10 | 0.52–0.76 | [ | 28] | ||||||||
Italy | ||||||||||||
3 | 3 | 2 | 325.5 ± 10.9 a | 40–1640 | ||||||||
4 | 6 | 2 | 282.3 ± 7.7 c | Italy | ||||||||
1.20 | 2.14 | 0.88 | 5.90 | 7.50 | * | * | [38] | Local breeds | 1.36 ± 0.51 | * | [27] | |
0.16 | 1.34 | 0.56 | 6.07 | Italy | Ragusana | 1.64 ± 0.79 (2 milkings/day) |
0.38–3.30 | [17] | ||||
Italy | Ragusana | 1.70 ± 0.10 (2 milkings/day) |
1.28–1.98 | [21] | ||||||||
Italy | Ragusana | 1.71 ± 0.66 | 1.25–2.35 | Martina Franca | 1.50 ± 0.08 | 1.27–1.47 | [24] | |||||
Italy | Martina Franca and Ragusana | 1.48 ± 0.06 | 1.30–1.80 | [20] | ||||||||
Italy | Ragusana | 4.87 ± 0.12 (8 milkings/day) |
* | [29] | ||||||||
Italy | Different races | 2.68 ± 1.96 | 0.72–6.00 | [22] | ||||||||
Jordan | Local type | 1.00 | * | [30] | ||||||||
Mean ± SD | 1.57 ± 1.12 |
40–1330 |
Fat (%) |
Protein (%) |
Casein (%) |
Lactose (%) |
Dry Matter (%) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* | |||||||
Vitamin C | 57.00 ** | ||||||
8.19 | 0.36 | * | [ | 17 | ] | ||
1.21 | 1.74 | * | 6.23 | 9.60 | 0.43 | * | [39] |
0.30–1.80 | 1.50–1.80 | 0.78 | 5.80–7.00 | 8.80–11.70 | * | 7.00–7.20 | [7] |
0.38 | 1.72 | 0.87 | 6.88 | 8.84 | 0.39 | * | [20] |
0.67 ± 0.55 | 1.88 | 0.79 | 6.84 ± 0.15 | * | 0.41 | 7.20 | [35] |
0.63 ± 0.41 | 1.71 ± 0.24 | 0.79 ± 0.11 | 6.34 ± 0.37 | 9.11 ± 0.95 | 0.39 ± 0.04 | 7.12 ± 0.08 | Mean ± SD |
Season |
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