Donkey milk research · Study 185

Donkey milk and health: what the evidence supports – and what it does not

This review from China asks in its title whether there is sufficient evidence for health benefits of donkey milk. The findings it compiles on components such as lysozyme and lactoferrin come mostly from cell lines and animal models; the authors themselves write that “rigorous clinical trials” are needed to substantiate health claims. On composition, the review cites 57 mg/L vitamin C, among other values (human milk 60, cow milk 27 mg/L).

Important: A review without its own measurements. Most findings cited come from cell and animal experiments and cannot be transferred to humans. They demonstrate neither prevention nor treatment of diseases; for health questions, such as allergies, medical advice is needed. Donkey milk is not a substitute for breast milk or infant formula; infant feeding belongs in medical hands.

At a glance · tap the cards

The key figures

Study design

How it was studied

Narrative review by 13 authors, mainly from the Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding and Ecological Feeding at Liaocheng University (China), with contributors from Pakistan and Shenzhen. The paper summarises literature on donkey milk composition, antimicrobial and immunological findings, cell and animal studies in tumour and diabetes research, use in cow’s milk protein allergy, and the influence of lactation stage, feeding, breed and processing. There are no own measurements; a systematic search strategy, inclusion and exclusion criteria or an assessment of study quality are not described. The full text was assessed; the composition table (Table 1) was not fully included in the material.

Laboratory study

Study typeReviewCountryChinaYear2024JournalFront Nutr

Results

What the study measured

Composition: the review describes donkey milk as low in fat, cholesterol and casein and rich in whey proteins such as lysozyme, α-lactalbumin and lactoferrin. For vitamin C it gives 57 mg/L (human milk 60, cow milk 27 mg/L).

Antimicrobial and immunological findings: the review cites lab experiments in which donkey milk or its components inhibited bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus or E. coli, and experiments with human blood cells in which messengers such as IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-α changed. Mouse models, for example of intestinal inflammation, are also cited.

Tumour and diabetes research: the cited work is mostly based on cell lines (for example A549, MCF7) and mouse models. The authors themselves write that the underlying mechanisms still have to be clarified in further in vitro and in vivo studies.

Cow’s milk protein allergy: the review attributes the lower allergenicity mainly to the low casein content and differences in β-lactoglobulin. At the same time, it states that hypoallergenic formulas are preferred and that milk from other species should only be used under careful paediatric supervision.

Influencing factors: according to the cited literature, lactation stage, feeding, breed and processing change the composition. Examples include selenium yeast in the feed (0.3 mg/kg) or ultra-high-pressure homogenisation at 100 MPa with a 28-day minimum shelf life; pasteurisation plus high pressure at 600 MPa, by contrast, made the milk unsuitable.

Limitations according to the authors: low milk yield, lack of standardisation in production and processing, and continuing large knowledge gaps. Clinical trials are needed to substantiate health-related claims.

Authors’ conclusion: Donkey milk is an “intriguing option” for health-promoting foods; however, in-depth in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to clarify mechanisms, along with progress in production and research. The review does not answer its title question systematically – its own references to missing clinical trials show that health effects in humans are not demonstrated by it.

Critical appraisal

Strengths and limitations

Narrative, not systematic reviewClear limitation

Search strategy, selection criteria and an assessment of study quality are missing. The authors chose which papers to include.

Mostly cell and animal dataClear limitation

Most findings come from cell lines, blood cells in the test tube and mouse models. They cannot be transferred to humans.

Evaluative languageNote

The abstract calls donkey milk an “optimal alternative” in cow’s milk allergy, whereas the full text recommends hypoallergenic formulas as the preferred option and medical supervision. We do not adopt such assessments.

Ties to donkey breeding researchNote

The authors work at an institute for donkey breeding; funding included an innovation team of the Shandong donkey industry. Conflicts of interest are denied.

Names its own limitsStrength

The review openly states that mechanisms are unclear and clinical trials are lacking, and also covers feeding and processing.

clear limitationnotestrength

Editorial note: The paper is a broad overview of donkey milk research, but not an assessment of the strength of evidence in the strict sense. Anyone asking the title question will mainly find cell and animal findings in it, together with the authors’ note that human studies are lacking. Health effects of donkey milk cannot be derived from it; in the case of allergies, diet belongs in medical hands. To the research archive.

Research question for DON DONKEY’S®

How much do lysozyme and lactoferrin vary between batches from our partner farms depending on lactation stage and season – and do they remain measurably the same after freezing and thawing?

ReviewEvidence baseWhey proteins

Original publication

Is there sufficient evidence to support the health benefits of including donkey milk in the diet?

Original title: Is there sufficient evidence to support the health benefits of including donkey milk in the diet?

Khan M. Z., Chen W., Li M., Ren W., Huang B., Kou X., Ullah Q., Wei L., Wang T., Khan A., Zhang Z., Li L., Wang C.
Frontiers in Nutrition · 2024 · 11, 1404998

Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding and Ecological Feeding, Liaocheng University, China; further contributors from Bahawalpur (Pakistan) and Shenzhen (China) (according to the paper)

DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1404998

Transparency: funded among others by the National Key R&D Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, a donkey industry innovation team of Shandong Province and research funds of Liaocheng University. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. No product-related statement for DON DONKEY’S®.

Summarised and checked by the DON DONKEY’S editorial team against the original publication · As of: November 2026

End of the study summary

Note on our products

The study summarised above was carried out independently of DON DONKEY’S® and does not relate to our products. It serves solely to inform about the state of research.

DON DONKEY’S® donkey milk and donkey milk powder are foods. They are not intended to prevent, treat or cure any disease and do not replace medical advice.

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.

Transparency: The study examined milk from another herd – not the milk from our partner farms.

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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.

Transparency: The study did not examine our donkey milk powder.