Research on donkey milk · Study 72

805 proteins, seven stages: how the protein profile of donkey milk shifts

A team from Liaocheng University examined the milk of Dezhou jennies from the first to the 180th day of lactation – with a method that captures hundreds of proteins at once.

Important: A laboratory analysis of milk proteins (proteomics). It measures relative protein amounts – not any effect of donkey milk in humans.

0proteins
identified

Sampling plan · runs automatically

From 84 jennies to 805 proteins

84 Dezhou jenniesOne farm in Dong’e, same feed: hay ad libitum plus 2 kg concentrate per animal per day.

7 stages of 12 animalsDay 1 (colostrum), 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 after foaling. Machine-milked in the morning.

28 pooled samplesThree individual samples combined into one: four replicates per stage.

4,870 peptides, 805 proteinsMass spectrometry (DIA) and matching against a donkey protein database.

Schematic. A protein counted as “differentially abundant” at p < 0.05 and at least a 1.5-fold change compared with colostrum (day 1).

Result 1 · Comparison with day 1

Hundreds of proteins change after colostrum

more abundant than in colostrumless abundant than in colostrum

Values from Table 3. Combined (mature milk, days 30–180, versus colostrum): 226 more abundant, 219 less abundant – 445 in total. In a separate column the table also gives a “number of DEPs” (e.g. 620 on day 30) that does not match the sum – see critical assessment.

Result 2 · tap a spike

The largest spikes in the seismogram

Main proteins over time (according to the text)

↗Lactoferrin – relative amount rose from day 1 to day 180.
↗→Albumin, lysozyme, β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin – increase until day 60, then a plateau.
↗→β-casein – increase until day 30, then stable.
↗↘↗αs1-casein – higher early, lower in mid and late lactation, higher again on day 180.
↗↘αs2- and κ-casein – first an increase, then a decrease.

Height of the spike = minimum change named in the text (“FC > x”), logarithmic. Upwards: more abundant in mature milk (days 30–180); downwards: more abundant in colostrum (for these five the text only states “FC > 5”). Relative amounts, not concentrations and not effects.

Critical assessment · tap a compass point

A compass rose for the findings

Editorial assessment: From database assignments, the authors derive benefits for infants, sick people, older people and cosmetics. This was not examined. Donkey milk is not a substitute for breast milk or infant formula. Same research group as Study 62 (lipids over 180 days).

Research question for DON DONKEY’S®

How much does the milk depend on the day of lactation?

If the protein profile shifts between day 30 and day 180, the lactation stage is an important piece of information for any milk. We want to clarify how we can document this point in time traceably.

Document day of lactationColostrum vs. mature milk: Study 63Longitudinal instead of cross-sectional

Original publication

Analysis of the Differentially Expressed Proteins in Donkey Milk in Different Lactation Stages

Original title of the publication.

Zhou M., Huang F., Du X., Liu G., Wang C.
Foods · 2023 · volume 12, issue 24, article 4466 · open access
School of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Liaocheng University (China)

DOI: 10.3390/foods12244466

Transparency: funded by the National Key R&D Program of China, a technology programme of Shandong Province and the Shandong Natural Science Foundation. According to the paper, no conflicts of interest. No product-related statement for DON DONKEY’S®.

Summarised and reviewed by the DON DONKEY’S editorial team on the basis of the original publication · as of October 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 Dezhou jennies in China – not the milk of our partner farms.

€24,90

100 ml bottle / 100ml · Unit price: €249,00 / 1 l · incl. VAT, plus shipping

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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 examined fresh donkey milk, not our donkey milk powder.