Buffalo Milk

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Buffalo Milk δ-Valerobetaine

“…Among ruminant milk, Mediterranean buffalo milk ( Bubalus bubalis ) contains levels of δVB, carnitine, and short-chain acylcarnitine (acetylcarnitine, propionylcarnitine, butyrylcarnitine, isobutyrylcarnitine, and 3-methylbutyrylcarnitine) that are higher than that in bovine milk . These metabolites, in addition to having an important physiological role in growth of suckling calf, confer a high nutritional value to the Mediterranean buffalo milk, highly suitable for the production of dairy products due to its peculiar composition and the high productivity standards of the Italian buffalo-breeding program. , Peptidomic and metabolomic profiling of the Mediterranean buffalo milk and dairy products revealed the occurrence of a wide range of natural bioactive substances and peptides endowed with recognized health benefits, including antimicrobial, anticancer immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and antioxidant properties. − …”

Carnitine Precursors and Short-Chain Acylcarnitines in Water Buffalo Milk

“…Among ruminants, buffalo milk ( Bubalus bubalis ), the second most consumed milk worldwide, is one of the richest milks from a compositional point of view, having fat, mineral, and protein content higher than those in cow milk. − These peculiar features make it highly suitable for the production of dairy products, including yogurt, superior cream, butter, and soft and hard cheeses, with particular regard to mozzarella cheese, produced in Italy under the European Union’s protected designation of origin scheme. In this regard, Italian Mediterranean buffalo has reached high productivity and reproductive standards thanks to the remarkable advancements of the Italian buffalo-breeding program. , The fatty acid fraction of Italian Mediterranean buffalo milk, from the qualitative point of view, includes also those fatty acids present in small concentrations that may have important effects on human health …”

“…As for branched short-chain fatty acids, isobutyric, 2-methylbutyric, and 3-methylbutyric acids, collectively called isoacids, are efficiently produced in the rumen by deamination and subsequent decarboxylation of valine, isoleucine, and leucine, respectively, which come largely from dietary protein digestion . Then VFA and isoacids, produced in the rumen, are rapidly absorbed in the blood by action of specific carriers of the family of the monocarboxylate transporters present on the epithelium of various tracts of the animal’s gastrointestinal tract and used by body tissues for lipid biosynthesis, gluconeogenesis, or milk formation. − Given the richness of buffalo milk composition, showing health properties different from those of cow milk, because it possesses a low-allergenic potential and provides benefits for obesity, hypertension, and osteoporosis, an increase of knowledge regarding the natural substance content could be useful to drive the dairy industry toward the production of buffalo milk and buffalo milk-based products with improved nutritional properties. The presence of δ-VB, recently described in cattle, goat, and sheep milk, opened a new scenario about the ruminant metabolite with important roles in animal physiology and consumers’ health .…”

Trends in the quality and hygiene parameters of bulk Italian Mediterranean buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) milk: A three year study

“…Buffalo milk is usually characterized by a rich composition with high content of fat, which constitutes the main fraction, moreover, it is a good source of vitamins A, D, C and B 6 , minerals such as Ca and P, and conjugated linoleic acid (Ahmad ; Simoes et al . ; Zotos & Bampidis ; Khedkar et al .…”

“…). The presence of trace elements such as boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, sulfur and zinc has also been ascertained (Ahmad ).…”