(1) Background: The variation in the concentration of different components found in milk depends on mammalian species, genetic, physiological, nutritional factors, and environmental conditions. Here, we analyse, for the first time, the content of different components (cholesterol concentration and fatty acids composition as well as the overall fat and mineral content determined using the same analytical methods) in milk of different mammal species. (2) Methods: The samples (n = 52) of human, cow, sheep, goat and mare milk were analyzed in triplicate for: cholesterol concentration, fatty acids profile and fat and mineral content (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, zinc). (3) Results: The highest fat content was reported in sheep milk (7.10 ± 3.21 g/dL). The highest cholesterol concentration was observed in bovine (20.58 ± 4.21 mg/dL) and sheep milk (17.07 ± 1.18 mg/dL). The saturated fatty acids were the lowest in human milk (46.60 ± 7.88% of total fatty acids). Goat milk had the highest zinc (0.69 ± 0.17 mg/dL), magnesium (17.30 ± 2.70 mg/dL) and potassium (183.60 ± 17.20 mg/dL) content. Sheep milk had the highest sodium (52.10 ± 3.20 mg/dL) and calcium (181.70 ± 17.20 mg/dL) concentration values. (4) Conclusions: The differences in nutritional value of milk could be perceived as a milk profile marker, helping to choose the best food for human nutrition.

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Jastrzębska E., Wadas E., Daszkiewicz T., Pietrzak-Fiećko R. (2017): Nutritional value and health-promoting properties of mare's milk − a review. Czech J. Anim. Sci., 62, 511-518.Recent interest in mare's milk is associated with the fact that it contains a wide variety of valuable nutrients with health-promoting properties. Among milks of many mammal species, it is the mare's milk that is highly appreciated for similarity to human milk in terms of chemical composition allowing its use as a substitute for mother's milk in infant feeding. It can also be used in feeding people with various health conditions. The global market offers still more food products and cosmetics containing mare's milk. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the nutritional value and health-promoting properties of mare's milk.

More and more research is done concerning nutritional programming. Human milk nutrients which are consumed by infants can influence their health in later life. High level of cholesterol in human milk paradoxically lowers the cholesterol concentration in blood in adults. During the course of human lactation the cholesterol concentration decreases from 31 mg/100cm(3) (colostrum) to 16 mg/100 cm(3) (mature milk). According to Scopesi et al., 2002, Clin Nutr 21: 379-384, cholesterol concentration in mature milk ranged from 6.5 to 18.4 mg/100 cm(3). The aim of the study was to assess the variations in breast milk cholesterol content during 10 day collection at early lactation. 48 samples of human milk were analyzed. Mean age of women was 31 years. Women were collecting samples during 10 days of an early lactation stage (1-3 months after delivery). An Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR-ATR) method for easy and rapid determination of cholesterol in human milk was elaborated. Cholesterol content assessed by the FTIR method ranged from 3.36 to 12.98 mg/100 cm(3). Results indicate that milk cholesterol concentration during 10 consecutive days of early lactation is highly variable. Cholesterol content depends on an individual. Therefore it is suggested that not only the period of lactation but also mother's diet, age, season and place of residence are important factors determining cholesterol content.

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