Donkey milk

The therapeutic effects of donkey milk have been known since ancient times. Milk is a biological compound generated to provide all nutritional substances to the infant; therefore, it can be understood how the composition of milk differs from the needs of the unborn child in different mammalian species. Specifically, donkey milk has recently aroused much Interest in the scientific community and especially among allergists and nutritionists. In particular, it has been noted that donkey milk can be considered a good substitute for all dairy products such as cow's milk in the feeding of children even with severe Ig-E-mediated cow's milk protein allergy, as well as when human milk cannot be taken 1.

Milk intolerance is due to the lack on a genetic therefore hereditary basis of the specific enzyme, β-galactosidase necessary to hydrolyze lactose and such lactose intolerance, is treated in most cases by excluding lactose-containing milk from the diet. For all such individuals, donkey milk is not only useful 2 but preferable and safer than milk obtained from other mammalian species 3 because of its high similarity to human milk, especially considering the protein content 4. Numerous studies have reported the potential anti-inflammatory effect 5 and a positive effect of donkey milk on the prevention of atherosclerosis 6. Some of the functional properties of donkey milk could be attributable not only to its probiotic activity 7, but especially to the presence of protective factors, such as immunoglobulins and peptides with antibacterial and immunomodulatory activity8. Certainly in light of the above but especially of the interest that increasingly drives new applications of this product we can consider it a true functional nutraceutical.

A very interesting part of this profile is played by lysozyme, which, discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1922, is a small hydrolytic enzyme capable of causing the lysis of Gram + bacteria is present in various parts of the human body, as well as in chicken egg white and Donkey milk has concentrations double and more than all other milks both human and animal. Lysozyme would, likewise, have immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory activities, all of which are to be related between biological structure and function9.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1)Carroccio, A., Cavataio, F., Montalto, G., D'Amico, D., Alabrese, L. and Iacono, G. [2000]: Intolerance to hydrolysed cow's milk proteins in infants: clinical characteristics and dietary treatment. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 30, pp. 1597- 603.

2)Monti, G., Bertino, E., Muratore, M.C., Coscia, A., Cresi, F., Silvestro, L., Fabris, C., Fortunato, D., Giuffrida, M.G. and Conti, A. [2007]: Efficacy of don key's milk in treating highly problematic cow's milk allergic children: an in vivo and in vitro study. Pediatric Allergy Immunology, 18, pp. 258-64.

3) Polidori, P., Beghelli. D., Mariani, P. and Vincenzetti, S. [2009]: Donkey milk production: state of the art. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 8(Suppl. 2), pp. 677- 83.

4) Salimei, E., Fantuz, F., Coppola, R., Chiofalo, B., Polidori, P. and Varisco, G. [2004]: Composition and characteristics of ass's milk. Animal Research, 53, pp. 67-78.

5) Ellinger S, Linscheid K.P, Jahnecke S, Goerlich R, Endbergs H, "The effect of mare's milk consumption on functional elements of phagocytosis of human neutrophilsgranulocytes from healthy volunteers," Food Agric Immunol, 14. 191-200. 2002.

6) Tafaro A, Magrone T, Jirillo F, Martemucci G, D'Alessandro A, Amati L, Jirillo E, (2007). Immunological properties of donkey's milk. Its potential use in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Curr Pharm Design, 13. 3711-3717. 2007.

7) Nazzaro F, Anastasio M, Fratianni F, Orlando P. Isolation and identification of probiotic lactic acid bacteria from raw donkey milk. Intern J Prob Preb 2008; 3: 374

8) Mao X, Gu, J, Sun Y, Xu S, Zhang X, Yang H, Ren F. Antiproliferative and anti-tumor effect of active components in donkey milk on A549 human lung cancer cells. Intern Dairy J 2009; 19: 703-8.

9) Hisham Radwan I. and Taksyoshi A. (2003). New Promises of Lysozyme as Immune Modulator and Antimicrobial Agent for Nutraceuticals Foods. Food Ingredients. J. Jpn., 208, no. 5, summary.