Cow’s milk is the most widely used ingredient
in infant
formulas. However, its specific protein composition can cause allergic
reactions. Finding alternatives to replace cow’s milk and fill
the nutritional gap with human milk is essential for the health of
infants. Proteomic and peptidomic techniques have supported the elucidation
of milk’s nutritional ingredients. Recently, omics approaches
have attracted increasing interest in the investigation of milk because
of their high throughput, precision, sensitivity, and reproducibility.
This review offers a significant overview of recent developments in
proteomics and peptidomics used to study the differences in human,
cow, and donkey milk. All three types of milks were identified to
have critical biological functions in human health, particularly in
infants. Donkey milk proteins were closer in composition to human
milk, were less likely to cause allergic reactions, and may be developed
as novel raw materials for formula milk powders.