title: Fat content, energy value and fatty acid profile of donkey milk during lactation and implications for human nutrition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Milk contains numerous nutrients. The content of n-3 fatty acids, the n-6/n-3 ratio, and short- and medium-chain fatty acids may promote positive health effects. In Western societies, cow's milk fat is perceived as a risk factor for health because it is a source of a high fraction of saturated fatty acids. Recently, there has been increasing interest in donkey's milk. In this work, the fat and energetic value and acidic composition of donkey's milk, with reference to human nutrition, and their variations during lactation, were investigated. We also discuss the implications of the acidic profile of donkey's milk on human nutrition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individual milk samples from lactating jennies were collected 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180 and 210days after foaling, for the analysis of fat, proteins and lactose, which was achieved using an infrared milk analyser, and fatty acids composition by gas chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The donkey's milk was characterised by low fat and energetic (1719.2kJ·kg-1) values, a high polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content of mainly α-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA), a low n-6 to n-3 FA ratio or LA/ALA ratio, and advantageous values of atherogenic and thrombogenic indices. Among the minor PUFA, docosahesaenoic (DHA), eicosapentanoic (EPA), and arachidonic (AA) acids were present in very small amounts (<1%). In addition, the AA/EPA ratio was low (0.18). The fat and energetic values decreased (P < 0.01) during lactation.The fatty acid patterns were affected by the lactation stage and showed a decrease (P < 0.01) in saturated fatty acids content and an increase (P < 0.01) in the unsaturated fatty acids content. The n-6 to n-3 ratio and the LA/ALA ratio were approximately 2:1, with values <1 during the last period of lactation, suggesting the more optimal use of milk during this period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high level of unsaturated/saturated fatty acids and PUFA-n3 content and the low n-6/n-3 ratio suggest the use of donkey's milk as a functional food for human nutrition and its potential utilisation for infant nutrition as well as adult diets, particular for the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Bari, Via G, Amendola, 165/A, 70126, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martemucci
authors.forename: Angela Gabriella
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D018397:Equidae; D005223:Fats / Q000032:analysis*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005223:Fats; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated