Abstract
Simple SummaryThe composition of elephant milk differs from all other mammals, as well as between Asian and African elephants. The changes of this milk composition during lactation is also unique. Apart from the major sugar being lactose, sugars also occur as longer chains. With progressed lactation, the content of the lactose decreases, and oligosaccharides become the major sugar component. The content of protein, minerals, and fat also increase during lactation, resulting in an increase in total energy. The fatty acid composition changes during lactation to a high content of saturated acids. Vitamin E occurs at low levels in this milk, and vitamins A, D3, and K occur in trace amounts. The combined data of 14 African elephants over 25 months of lactation are presented. The reported changes may contribute to improving the management strategies of captive African elephants to optimize the nutrition, health, and survival of elephant calves.The combined data of milk composition of 14 African elephants over 25 months of lactation are presented. The milk density was constant during lactation. The total protein content increased with progressing lactation, with caseins as the predominant protein fraction. The total carbohydrates steadily decreased, with the oligosaccharides becoming the major fraction. Lactose and isoglobotriose reached equal levels at mid lactation. The milk fat content increased during lactation, as did the caprylic and capric acids, while the 12 carbon and longer fatty acids decreased. The fatty acid composition of the milk phospholipids fluctuated, and their total saturated fatty acid composition was low compared to the triacylglycerides. The milk ash and content of the major minerals, Na, K, Mg, P, and Ca, increased. Vitamin content was low, Vitamin E occurred in quantifiable amounts, with traces of vitamins A, D3, and K. The energy levels of African elephant milk did not change much in the first ten months of lactation, but they increased thereafter due to the increase in protein and fat content. The overall changes in milk composition appeared to be in two stages: (a) strong changes up to approximately 12 months of lactation and (b) little or no changes thereafter.
Highlights
In the past few years, the milk of elephants was described to some extent
The density of the African elephant milk changed over lactation time
During the first eight months of lactation, it varied between 1.0329 and 1.0405 kg/L, which is in the same order as that of bovine, goat, and sheep milk, which have a density of approximately 1.03 kg/L [31,32]
Summary
Compared with milks of all eutherian species, elephant milk is unique with regards to gross and detailed composition. This accounts for Asian (Elephas maximus) [1,2] and African elephants (Loxodonta africana) [3]. The changes in the detailed composition with regards to oligosaccharides, fatty acids, whey, caseins, minerals, vitamins, phospholipids, and energy are described for the first time. We followed a single elephant cow over 19 months, together with shorter periods in three others, and we collected single milk samples of another 10 animals to determine the changes during lactation, as well as the extent of inter-individual differences
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