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Research on donkey milk · Study 1
Donkey milk on its way through the stomach
In 2011, Tidona et al. treated donkey milk in the laboratory with human digestive juices: which proteins survive the simulated digestion – and does the milk still inhibit bacteria afterwards?
What it's about
What survives digestion?
Donkey milk contains proteins such as lysozyme, to which research attributes antibacterial properties. But what happens to them when they meet gastric and intestinal juices?
An Italian-Norwegian research team simulated this in the laboratory: individual donkey milk samples were treated first with human gastric juice, then with human intestinal juice. After each step, the researchers checked which proteins had been broken down.
They then tested undigested and digested milk against three bacterial strains.
What exactly was studied?
Briefly explained
The terms used in this study
Digestion is simulated in the test tube – here with real human digestive juices, but without a human.
Indicates how acidic a liquid is. The lower, the more acidic: gastric juice is clearly in the acidic range, intestinal juice in the slightly alkaline range.
A natural enzyme that can attack the cell wall of certain bacteria. Present in particularly large amounts in donkey milk.
The phase in which a bacterial culture stops growing because space and nutrients become scarce.
Individual donkey milk samples were used for the experiment.
Treatment with human gastric juice at pH 2 or pH 4.
Further digestion with human intestinal juice at pH 7.5.
Undigested and digested milk were tested against three bacterial strains.
Interactive · The data at a glance
One model, five views
How did digestion proceed, which proteins remained – and how did the three bacteria respond? Switch between the views.
Illustration of the findings reported in the original publication. The circles and growth curves are schematic and do not show measured values.
Key findings
What the researchers report
Lysozyme remains intact
Lysozyme and α-lactalbumin were highly resistant throughout digestion. The fragments formed came mainly from β-casein, αs1-casein and the β-lactoglobulins.
Inhibited – even after digestion
In the laboratory, both undigested and digested donkey milk inhibited the growth of this Listeria strain – the more milk, the stronger the inhibition.
Not every bacterium responds in the same way
The results differed clearly between the three strains tested.
The effect of the whole milk – undigested or digested – was measured. The study does not show which components caused the inhibition. One strain per bacterial species was tested.
Critical assessment
Stable in the model, effect depending on the bacterium
What the study shows
What it does not show
Research question for DON DONKEY’S®
What does our milk withstand?
The study shows how the stability of milk proteins can be investigated in the laboratory. For us it is a prompt: we would like to know how the proteins in our own milk behave – fresh and as powder.
Original publication
Antimicrobial effect of donkeys’ milk digested in vitro with human gastrointestinal enzymes
Tidona F., Sekse C., Criscione A., Jacobsen M., Bordonaro S., Marletta D., Vegarud G. E.
International Dairy Journal · 2011 · 21:158–165
University of Catania (Italy), Norwegian Veterinary Institute and Norwegian University of Life Sciences (Norway)
DOI: 10.1016/j.idairyj.2010.10.008
Repository entry: University of Catania
The publication describes laboratory experiments with donkey milk samples. It does not allow any product-related statement for DON DONKEY’S®.
From our shop
DON DONKEY’S® donkey milk
100 % donkey milk · raw milk, frozen
On this page we report the findings of a published study. Independently of that, you will find our donkey milk here: 100 % donkey milk, frozen as raw milk.
100 ml bottle / 100ml · Unit price: €249,00 / 1 l · incl. VAT, plus shipping
Also in our shop
Donkey Milk Powder
Donkey milk in powder form
For anyone who prefers a longer shelf life: our donkey milk in powder form – easy to store and portion.
20g · Unit price: €1.245,00 / 1 kg · incl. VAT, plus shipping