Abstract
Donkey milk is receiving increasing interest due to its attractive nutrient and functional properties (but also cosmetic), which make it a suitable food for sensitive consumers, such as infants with allergies, the immunocompromised, and elderly people. Our study aims to provide further information on the microbial variability of donkey milk under cold storage conditions. Therefore, we analysed by high-throughput sequencing the bacterial communities in unpasteurized donkey milk just milked, and after three days of conservation at 4 °C, respectively. Results showed that fresh donkey milk was characterized by a high incidence of spoilage Gram-negative bacteria mainly belonging to Pseudomonas spp. A composition lower than 5% of lactic acid bacteria was found in fresh milk samples, with Lactococcus spp. being the most abundant. The occurrence of microbial species belonging to risk group 2 was found in fresh milk. After three days of cold storage, the bacterial biodiversity of donkey milk was strongly reduced, since about 93% of the bacterial communities were identified as different species of psychrotrophic Pseudomonas. In conclusion, we report a preliminary description of the microbial diversity of donkey milk by using a metagenomic approach and encouraging a correct exploitation of this high-value niche product.
Highlights
Donkey milk is a minor dairy production which is gaining growing interest and international acceptance mostly for human consumption, and for the production of beauty products [1].The current trends in the donkey industry in Europe show an increase of donkey breeds reared inItaly [2]
In the last few years, some studies evaluated the impact of refrigeration and storage on raw cow milk bacterial communities by using molecular tools [19,20]
In order to increase the knowledge of the microbial diversity associated with donkey milk, in this short communication we reported on the bacterial communities in fresh raw donkey milk, and of the same matrix after three days of cold storage
Summary
Donkey milk is a minor dairy production which is gaining growing interest and international acceptance mostly for human consumption, and for the production of beauty products [1]. Due to the small production and target market of the consumers, potential safety hazards, including the bacterial quality of raw donkey milk, should be subjected to stricter regulation [9]. Knowledge on the microbiota of donkey milk is limited to only a few studies, mainly addressed by culture-dependent tools [14,15] and, only recently, by a metagenomic approach [16]. In the last few years, some studies evaluated the impact of refrigeration and storage on raw cow milk bacterial communities by using molecular tools [19,20]. In order to increase the knowledge of the microbial diversity associated with donkey milk, in this short communication we reported on the bacterial communities in fresh raw donkey milk, and of the same matrix after three days of cold storage
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