title: Milk composition of a free-ranging African elephant (Loxodonta africana) cow during early lactation.
abstract: Only one study previously reported comprehensively on the composition of African elephant's (Loxodonta africana) milk that was collected from 30 dead animals. In the current study milk was obtained from a tame but free-ranging African elephant cow without immobilization during the period when she was 4-47 days postpartum. At the respective collection times the nutrient content was 21.8 and 25.0 g protein; 56.0 and 76.0 g fat; 71.1 and 26.0 g sugars per kilogram of milk. The protein fraction, respectively, consisted of 10.0 and 14.0 g caseins/kg milk and of 11.8 and 11 g whey proteins/kg milk. During lactation the lactose content dropped from 52.5 to 11.8 g/kg milk, while the oligosaccharide content increased from 11.8 to 15.2 g/kg milk. The oligosaccharide was characterized as a galactosyllactose, which is digestible by cellulase. Electrophoresis and identification of protein bands showed a similar migrating sequence of proteins as seen in cow's milk, but some of the corresponding proteins were less negatively charged. The lipid fraction contains a high content of capric and lauric acids, approximately 60% of the total fatty acids, and low content of myristic, palmitic and oleic acids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. OsthoffG.sci@mail.uovs.ac.za
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Osthoff
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: De Waal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hugo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Wit
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Botes
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D002364:Caseins / Q000032:analysis; D002417:Cattle; D004606:Elephants / Q000502:physiology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005916:Globulins / Q000032:analysis; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D002241:Carbohydrates; D002364:Caseins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005916:Globulins; D008894:Milk Proteins