Milk Of Various Species Research Articles

The evaluation of medium-chain and long-chain saturated fatty acid levels in the milk of various species and their potential in cancer prevention

The evaluation of medium-chain and long-chain saturated fatty acid levels in the milk of various species and their potential in cancer prevention

Features of lactation and quality of milk of different breeds of goats

Milk productivity during the lactation period (305 days) and evaluation of milk according to different quality indicators in periods of the year were studied. The experiments were carried out on 3 groups of goats of Zaanen, Alpine, and Anglo-Nubian breeds at 3–4 years old. Milk productivity was evaluated from the 1st to the 11th month of lactation, and milk quality indicators (fat, protein, SOMO, density) were analyzed using the Lactan 1-4 milk analyzer. It was established that the most incredible intensity of lactation in goats occurs during the 4–5th month after farrowing; the exceptional dynamics of the lactation curve is that it increases from the 1st to the 4th month and decreases from the 5th to the 10th. An interbreeding difference in milk yield was established (Р < 0.001, Р < 0.05) in the 4th, 5th, and 7th months of lactation, where the Anglo-Nubian, Alpine, and Zaanen breeds were arranged in the order of decreasing milk yield. The total lactation rate was maximum in Zaanen animals, and in Anglo-Nubian and Alpine goats, it was lower by 16.4 % (Р < 0.001) and 5 % (Р < 0.001), respectively. It was found that the average daily fertility of goats was in Zaanen animals, and the minimum and maximum in Anglo-Nubian and Alpine breeds about the season of the year, correspondingly spring – 15.9 %, 6.5 %; summer – 16.04 %, 3.74 %; autumn – 23.2 %, 8 %. The study of the physicochemical parameters of goat milk of various species revealed that, according to qualitative parameters, in the spring, summer, and autumn periods, there is an interspecies difference in the content of protein and fat, with the highest content in Anglo-Nubian animals, respectively by 5% (Р < 0.001), 38.6 % (P < 0.01), 36.1 % (P < 0.01). According to indicators of consistency and smell of milk, the three breeds of goats did not have a probable difference. The following discrepancies were established regarding taste qualities: a sweet taste in Anglo-Nubian animals, a rich one in Alpine animals, and no extraneous aftertaste in Zaanen animals. A light cream color is noted in the Anglo-Nubian circles, and a color variation from white to light cream is present in the Alpine and Zaanen peoples.

A rapid HPLC method for the determination of lactoferrin in milk of various species.

This Research Communication describes the adaptation and testing of an RP-HPLC method, previously tested for the determination of lactoferrin (LF) in whey, for its applicability to determine milk lactoferrin content. Milk samples of various species, namely, ovine, caprine, bovine, donkey and human milk, were tested. The advantage of this RP-HPLC method includes speed and convenience, as it does not include extensive pretreatment or separation steps. A simple pre-treatment step was added in order to remove fat and proteins of the casein family and the samples were tested. The results varied in terms of elution of the LF peak both between the milk of the different species as well as from the initial application on whey. The peak resolution was satisfactory in the cases of ovine, bovine and donkey milk samples while for caprine and human milk an interference with other peaks was observed. Nevertheless, quantification of LF was found possible for all samples. This new application of the modified method will allow the determination of LF in milk samples of the tested species either for everyday analysis or as a useful qualitative screening for presence or absence of LF.

The overall and fat composition of milk of various species

Milk, an essential source of offspring nourishment, varies in it’s composition and properties significantly across species. In human nutrition, fresh milk and dairy products are valuable sources of protein, fat and energy, and are an important part of daily meals. Most of the world’s milk production (85 %) comes from cows followed by buffaloes, goats, ewes, mares and donkeys. However milk related food allergies in infants may be a reason for health problems and may cause a decrease in milk. The objective of this paper was to give an overview of the overall composition of milk and fat from different species in comparison to women milk. Regarding the overall milk composition remarkable differences in energy content, fat, lactose, protein and ash of the various milks were found, but also some similarities among milk from ruminants and non-ruminants were detected. The structures of fat globule membranes were similar among non-ruminants and women milk, while the milk fat globule structure in ruminants differed significantly. The size of fat globules was significantly different between species and highly correlated to the milk fat content, regardless of the specie. The amount of triacylglycerols was notably higher, while the amount of free fatty acids and phospholipids was notably lower in milk from ruminants and women compared to milk from mares and donkeys. The triacylglycerol structure in women and non-ruminantsˈ was similar. The percentage of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids was lower, while the unsaturated fatty acid content was higher in milk from non-ruminants, with a remarkably higher percentage of C-18:2 and C-18:3. The cholesterol content was similar in women and ruminantsˈ milk, but lower in that of non-ruminants. This review indicates that milk from non-ruminants could be more suitable for human nourishment than milk from ruminants.

An experimental comparison of methods for somatic cell count determination in milk of various species of mammals

Somatic cell count (SCC) is important foodstuff, hygienic and health indicator of milk and animal mammary gland. The goal of this paper was to evaluate an ability of chosen methods to reach the SCC reliable results in various biological kinds (species) of milk. The various methods of SCC determination were compared in cow (CM), goat (GM), sheep (SM) and human (HM) milk: direct microscopy (DM); fluoro-opto-electronic (Fossomatic 90; Foss); fluorescent (DCC; De Laval). Used methods had cow milk calibration basically. The DM, Foss and DCC result relations about SCC were very close, mostly > 0.92 (P < 0.001) for CM, GM and SM. In CM the regression equations between methods were near ideal form y = 1x + 0. The mean differences SCC data sets between mentioned methods were small for CM, larger for SM and HM and the largest for GM. It is possible to convert all DCC results in SM, HM and GM to DM or Foss method. The conversion equations were stated from DCC: to DM in cow milk y = 1.1293x − 5.5029; to Foss in goat milk y = 3.603x − 3171.4; to Foss in sheep milk y = 1.3805x − 18.149; to Foss in human milk y = 2.6246x + 158.63. Assesment of conversion equations should be individual laboratory event. Results had relatively good correspondence among DM, Foss and DCC for SCC determination in CM, GM, SM and HM for milk quality control. DCC had lower results in small ruminants as compared to Foss calibrated on CM using DM. DCC in HM had lower results as Foss adjusted by CM at good correlation (0.84; P < 0.001).

Characterization of Iraqi sheep milk lysozyme with respect to molecular weight and hydrolytic activity

Lysozyme is an enzyme that can be found in egg white, milk of various species, as well as in animal tissues and secretions and it is antimicrobial to Gram-positive bacteria. The objective of this work was to purify and characterize lysozyme from Iraqi sheep milk with respect to molecular weight and the influence of pH and temperature on the hydrolytic activity. The purification procedure comprised of enzymatic separation of the casein from the whey proteins and filtration of the whey through a 100-kDa membrane. The permeate was applied to a size exclusion column, Sephadex G-75, and fractions were collected and assayed for lysozyme activity. Isoelectric precipitation of alpha-lactalbumin from the Sephadex fractions containing lysozyme activity resulted in a 28.6-fold purification from crude whey with a 21% yield. The molecular weight as determined by size exclusion was between 30 and 34 kDa and was 14.3 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE analysis. Sheep milk lysozyme was active from 25 to 80 °C with the highest activity at 55–65 °C. The influence of pH on the activity revealed the highest activity at pH 7.5 and the lysozyme was active at a pH range between pH 4.5 and 9.5. This work demonstrated that Iraqi sheep lysozyme was similar to bovine milk lysozyme with respect to hydrolytic activity and molecular weight.

Conservation of the ST6Gal I gene and its expression in the mammary gland

Milk sialoglycoconjugates can protect the gastrointestinal tract of the suckling neonate by competitively binding to invading pathogens and promoting growth of beneficial flora, and their potential role in postnatal brain development is of particular interest in human infant nutrition. Although the concentration and the distribution of sialoglycoconjugates have been extensively studied in the milk of various species, the investigation of sialyltransferase gene expression in the mammary gland, in the context of lactation, has been limited. The sialyltransferase enzyme ST6Gal I transfers sialic acid from CMP-sialic acid to type 2 (Galβ1,4GlcNAc) free disaccharides or the termini of N- or O-linked oligosaccharides using an α2,6-linkage. Expression of the ST6Gal I gene is primarily regulated at the level of transcription through the use of several cell and development-specific promoters, producing transcripts with divergent 5' untranslated regions (UTR). In the mouse mammary gland, the novel 5'UTR exon (L) appears to be associated with a drastic increase in ST6Gal I gene expression during lactation. We find that rats also possess an exon (L), suggesting conservation of this regulatory mechanism in rodents. In contrast, an exon (L)-containing transcript was not detected in the lactating bovine or human mammary gland. We also observed a trend of increasing ST6Gal I gene expression in the bovine mammary gland, culminating in involution. This is in contrast to species such as mice where the greatest change in ST6Gal I gene expression occurs between pregnancy and lactation, suggesting different roles in rodents vs. other mammals for α2,6-sialylated oligosaccharides present in milk.

What makes lorazepam different from other benzodiazepines?

What makes lorazepam different from other benzodiazepines?

Stability of Insulin-Like Growth Factor I in the Gastrointestinal Lumen in Neonatal Pigs

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I is present in the milk of various species. A prerequisite for any biological activity of milk-borne IGF-I in the suckling young is to survive the gastrointestinal luminal digestion. In the present study, the stability of IGF-I was examined in the gastrointestinal lumen in neonatal pigs. Iodine-labeled IGF-I was incubated in the gastrointestinal luminal fluids of 3-day-old suckling and 45-day-old weaned pigs at 37 degrees C for 20 minutes. Degradation of the peptide was analyzed by trichloroacetic acid (TCA) precipitation, liquid chromatography, and receptor binding assay. IGF-I remained unchanged in the gastric fluids of suckling and weaned pigs when determined by TCA precipitation. IGF-I degraded 3%, 18%, and 37% in the luminal fluids of the proximal, mid and distal small intestine in suckling piglets compared with 53%, 62%, and 54% in weaned pigs. The results were supported by the chromatography and receptor binding analysis. Porcine colostrum had a capacity to protect IGF-I from gastrointestinal luminal digestion in weaned pigs. Milk-borne IGF-I is stable in the gastrointestinal lumen in suckling pigs and may play a role in regulating postnatal development in the suckling young.

Identification of IGF binding proteins in bovine milk and the demonstration of IGFBP-3 synthesis and release by bovine mammary epithelial cells.

Insulin-like growth factor system components are synthesized and secreted by mammary epithelial cells and multiple IGF binding proteins (IGFBP) are found in milk of various species. This study was conducted to identify the IGFBP in bovine milk, to compare them with those found in blood, and to identify the cell(s) responsible for mammary IGFBP synthesis. Bovine blood, milk, and cell culture-conditioned media were analyzed and characterized with Western ligand blot procedures for specific IGFBP. Electrophoresis and [125I]IGF-II ligand blot analyses of the samples indicated that, unlike serum and mammary primary cell culture-conditioned media, milk required removal of casein in order to accurately disclose all IGFBP. Immunoprecipitation studies identified IGFBP-2, -3, -4, and -5 in blood, milk, and primary cell culture conditioned media. The IGFBP were present at higher concentrations in serum than in milk, and milk concentrations were greater than that shown in conditioned media from primary cultures of bovine mammary cells. Northern analysis detected IGFBP-3 messenger RNA in extracts from fresh tissue and cells in culture, and in situ hybridization studies with fresh tissue utilizing probes for IGFBP-3 and alphaS1-casein showed that the mRNA for IGFBP-3 is predominant in the secretory epithelial cells, when compared to other tissue cell types.

Oral insulinlike growth factor-I stimulates intestinal enzyme maturation in newborn rats

Insulinlike growth factor-I (IGF-I) has been found in the milk of various species. To investigate if milk-borne IGF-I has any effect on postnatal gut development in neonatal animals, newborn rat pups were given orally 1 μg recombinant human IGF-I daily for 3 days. For comparison, a separate group of newborn pups was given 150 μg hydrocortisone, the hormone known to stimulate intestinal maturation in neonatal rats. Oral IGF-I treatment had no significant effect on the animal body weight nor on the weight of the stomach, small and large intestines, and pancreas. Oral administration of hydrocortisone significantly reduced body weight gain, but it had no apparent effect on internal organ weights. Both IGF-I and hydrocortisone treatments, however, significantly increased lactase, maltase and sucrase activities and hydrocortisone significantly increased aminopeptidase activity at the proximal small intestine when compared with the control. The finding supports the hypothesis that milk-borne IGF-I may play a role in regulating postnatal gut development in the suckling young.

Occurrence of Aflatoxin M1 in Cheeses from the South of Spain

Thirty-five samples of commercial cheeses, 9 fresh, 9 semicured or semiripened and 17 ripened made with different types of milk (cow, ewe, goat and mixtures of milk of various species) produced in the South of Spain were analyzed for the presence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) by high-performance liquid chromatography, In 16 of the 35 samples (45.71%) the presence of AFM1 was detected in concentrations ranging between 20 and 200 ng/g of cheese, In the positive cases, the mean levels of AFM1 were 105.33 ng/g in ripened cheeses, 73.80 ng/g in semiripened cheeses and 42.60 ng/g in fresh cheeses.

Do Hormones in Milk Affect the Function of the Neonatal Intestine?

The presence of a number of peptide hormones and other biologically active peptides (BAP) in the milk of various species, together with the low proteolytic activity in the gastrointestinal tract of newborns and “permeability” for macromolecules, suggests theirpotential significance for the neonate I review the presence of hormones and other biologically active peptides (BAP) in milks of various species. Furthermore, I summarize data demonstrating the effects of orogastrically administered BAP with special attention to epidermal growth factor.

Alkaline Phosphatase Activity and Pyridoxal Phosphate Concentrations in the Milk of Various Species ,

Because pyridoxal phosphate does not normally cross membranes, it was intriguing that the concentration of pyridoxal phosphate is much higher in goat milk than in human milk. We also noted that, although the total vitamin B-6 concentration of bovine milk was similar to that of caprine milk, the bovine milk had lower pyridoxal phosphate. Preliminary data from five Alpine goats, five Brown Swiss cows, five Holstein cows and three humans suggested that there was an inverse relationship between pyridoxal phosphate concentration and phosphatase activity in the goats and cows but not in the humans. This was confirmed with additional data from Nubian goats, Jersey and Guernsey cows, and crossbred sows. Combining the animal data yielded the following relationship between pyridoxal phosphate (PLP, μmol/L) and alkaline phosphatase (P’ase) activity (mmol/(min-L): PLP = 2.03e(-2.26 P’ase) + 0.03. The human milk samples were low in both pyridoxal phosphate and alkaline phosphatase. We conclude that in goats, cows and pigs a significant fraction of the vitamin B-6 appearing in the milk is secreted as pyridoxal phosphate, probably bound to protein, and varying amounts may then be hydrolyzed back to pyridoxal depending on the alkaline phosphatase activity. Human mammary tissue apparently secretes very little pyridoxal phosphate.

Lack of effects of neutralization of parathyroid hormone-related protein on calcium homeostasis in neonatal mice

Large quantities of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) are present in the milk of various species. It has been suggested that PTHrP may play a role in neonatal calcium homeostasis. In the present study we evaluated the effect of neutralization of amino-terminal PTHrP activity by passive immunization in 1-day-old mouse pups. Neutralization of amino-terminal PTHrP activity had no significant effect on serum calcium or whole-body calcium content in the neonatal mice. In additional studies, we demonstrated that subcutaneous administration of PTHrP-(1-34) increased serum calcium, whereas oral administration had no significant effect in 3-day-old pups. The studies therefore demonstrate that the amino terminus of PTHrP may not play a significant role in neonatal calcium homeostasis. Local effects of PTHrP cannot be excluded by the results of the present study.

Parathyroid hormone-related protein in milk and its correlation with bovine milk calcium

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) has been shown to be present in milk of various mammals. We have assayed PTHrP in milk of various species by radioimmunoassay and estimated the molecular weights by Western blot analysis. PTHrP concentrations in bovine, ovine and human milk were 59.2 +/- 18.5, 74.1 +/- 35.0 and 36.6 +/- 20.7 micrograms/l (mean +/- S.D.) respectively, in pooled samples collected at various stages of lactation. PTHrP in mammalian milk was found to exist in two forms with molecular weights of 17.5 kDa and 21.5 kDa approximating those of PTHrP(1-108) and (1-141) respectively. In comparison, marsupial milk PTHrP appeared as a single low molecular weight form of 14.4 kDa which approximated to that of PTHrP(1-84). We performed a longitudinal study measuring the concentration of PTHrP in milk throughout lactation in cows, and found it to increase with the duration of lactation (r = 0.669, n = 91). We further examined the relationship between the concentration of PTHrP and total calcium in bovine milk, and the differences between these constituents in milk from Friesian and Jersey cows. PTHrP concentrations correlated positively with total milk calcium (r = 0.346, n = 105). The mean milk concentration of PTHrP of the Jerseys was significantly higher than that of the Friesians (52.6 +/- 5.4 micrograms/l compared with 41.0 +/- 4.8 micrograms/l, P less than 0.01), as was the mean milk calcium concentration (30.5 +/- 3.0 mmol/l compared with 26.7 +/- 2.7 mmol/l, P less than 0.01). We therefore postulate that production of PTHrP by the mammary gland may be associated with calcium transport from blood to milk. Also PTHrP may play a role in the development of milk fever in Jerseys which are predisposed to this condition.

Binding of drugs in milk: the role of casein in milk protein binding.

Unbound fractions of 14C-labeled diazepam and tenoxicam in skimmed milk of various species (man, horse, goat, cow, sheep, dog, rabbit) with different milk compositions were determined. Furthermore, the protein binding of five 14C-labeled benzodiazepines differing in their lipophilicity (bromazepam, clonazepam, diazepam, flumazenil, and flunitrazepam) were measured in human milk and in artificially prepared solutions of individual milk proteins (lactoferrin, 2.4 g/liter; alpha-lactalbumin, 2.1 g/liter; albumin, 0.4 g/liter; and casein--2.1, 3.4, and 13.3 g/liter). The extent of binding was determined by equilibrium dialysis of protein solution against 1/15 M phosphate buffer, made isocryoscopic with lactose. The results showed that the casein fraction is a major binding component in milk for all tested drugs. The extent of binding of diazepam and tenoxicam in the milk of various species was independent of the whey protein concentration. In human milk the fraction of bromazepam, clonazepam, diazepam, and flunitrazepam bound to casein was higher than that bound to any other of the milk proteins tested. Albumin contributed little to the overall binding of these benzodiazepines, and lactoferrin and alpha-lactalbumin did not account for significant binding. The benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil showed the lowest overall binding in milk and in casein solution. As the casein concentration is highest in colostral milk and drops during the course of lactation, it is expected that M/P ratios of drugs strongly bound to casein are higher during the first days postpartum than in later phases of lactation.

Lactotransferrin receptor of mouse small-intestinal brush border. Binding characteristics of membrane-bound and triton X-100-solubilized forms.

A specific lactotransferrin receptor was identified in the mouse small-intestinal brush-border membrane and the binding features were investigated in homologous and heterologous systems. The receptor was found to be specific for lactotransferrins isolated from milk of various species, but the affinity was higher toward the homologous ligand (Ka = 3.5 x 10(6) M-1 compared with 2.6 x 10(6) M-1 for both human and bovine lactotransferrins). However, the number of binding sites (n) was the same for the three lactotransferrins, namely 0.53 x 10(12)/micrograms of membrane protein. The binding of mouse lactotransferrin to its receptor was found to be pH-dependent, with an optimal binding at pH 5.5, and seemed unlikely to be carbohydrate-mediated. The receptor was demonstrated to be devoid of any affinity for human and mouse serotransferrins or for a 'serotransferrin-like' protein isolated from mouse milk. The receptor was solubilized with 1% Triton X-100 with good yield. The solubilized receptor was found to retain lactotransferrin-binding activity and sensitivity to pH.

Luminal hydrolysis of recombinant human epidermal growth factor in the rat gastrointestinal tract: Segmental and developmental differences

Epidermal growth factor (EGF), present in high concentrations in the milk of various species, is biologically active following oral administration to young animals. Although in vivo studies show gastrointestinal processing of dietary EGF during early postnatal development, the relative importance of luminal and mucosal digestion in such processing is undefined. To characterize the luminal metabolism of dietary EGF in the developing gastrointestinal tract, we incubated human recombinant 125I-EGF in vitro at 37° with luminal fluid from the stomach and various segments of the small intestine of 12 day old suckling and 31 day old weanling rats and analyzed the resulting reaction products. The rate of EGF hydrolysis as determined by generation of acid soluble material was greater in weanling small intestine than in suckling, with maximal hydrolytic capacity observed in the mid-jejunum and ileum. Minimal hydrolysis was observed with stomach fluid from both age groups, and EGF retained its ability to elute as a single species on Sephadex G-25 columns and to bind to monospecific affinity columns and placental membrane receptors. Incubation with suckling small intestinal fluid produced little change in the chromatographic profile on Sephadex G-25, but a reduction in antibody and receptor binding was observed. In contrast, incubation with weanling small intestinal fluid yielded both a more pronounced loss of EGF-like material on G-25 columns and a greater reduction in receptor and antibody binding. We conclude that little luminal EGF degradation occurs in the rat stomach during the suckling and weanling periods, but that in the lumen of the small intestine breakdown increases during postnatal development.

Comparative Aspects of Milk Fat Synthesis

This general review attempts to capture the interest of nonspecialists, especially those whose main interest is the dairy cow, in the extraordinary diversity of milk fats synthesized and secreted by different mammalian species.The review compares differences in the gross proportions of fats in the milk of various species and discusses different strategies for providing the suckling young with sufficient energy as fat. Despite the constancy of the gross chemical composition of the milk fat globule and its membrane produced by mammals, there are striking differences among species in the fatty acid composition of milk triacylglycerols (triglycerides). The origins of the short-, medium-, and long-chain fatty acids of milk triacylglycerols are reviewed with emphasis on differences between ruminants and nonruminants. Because there appears to be less difference among mammals in the mechanisms of fatty acid desaturation, chain elongation, and esterification by the mammary gland, these topics are only briefly reviewed.