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REVIEW article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutritional Immunology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1404998
This article is part of the Research Topic Immunomodulatory effect of Nutrients on intestinal disorders and immunity View all 7 articles

Is There Sufficient Evidence to Support the Health Benefits of Including Donkey Milk in the Diet?

Provisionally accepted
Muhammad Z. Khan Muhammad Z. Khan 1Chen Wenting Chen Wenting 2*Wei Ren Wei Ren 3*Bingjian Huang Bingjian Huang 2*Xiyan Kou Xiyan Kou 2*Qudrat Ullah Qudrat Ullah 4Lin Wei Lin Wei 2*Tongtong Wang Tongtong Wang 2Adnan Khan Adnan Khan 5*Zhenwei Zhang Zhenwei Zhang 6Liangliang Li Liangliang Li 2*Changfa Wang Changfa Wang 2*
  • 1 Liaocheng University, Shangdong, China
  • 2 Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, China
  • 3 Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, China
  • 4 Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan
  • 5 Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 511464, China, Shenzhen, China
  • 6 Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Donkey milk has attracted attention due to its distinctive nutritional composition and potential health advantages, particularly because of its whey protein content, which includes lysozyme, α-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, and β-lactoglobulin and vitamin C, among other components. These elements contribute to immunoregulatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, positioning donkey milk as a possible therapeutic option. In addition, due to the low levels of caseins, the casein-to-whey protein ratio, and the β-lactoglobulin content in donkey milk, it presents an optimal alternative for infant formula for individuals with cow's milk allergies. Moreover, research into donkey milk's potential for cancer prevention, diabetes management, and as a treatment for various diseases is ongoing, thanks to its bioactive peptides and components. Nevertheless, challenges such as its low production yield and the not fully understood mechanisms behind its potential therapeutic role necessitate more thorough investigation. This review consolidates the existing knowledge on the therapeutic possibilities of donkey milk, emphasizing its importance for human health and the need for more detailed studies to confirm its health benefits.

    Keywords: Donkey milk, lysozyme, Lactoferrin, antioxidant, Antibacterial, Immune regulator, Therapeutic potential

    Received: 08 Apr 2024; Accepted: 11 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Khan, Wenting, Ren, Huang, Kou, Ullah, Wei, Wang, Khan, Zhang, Li and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Chen Wenting, Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, China
    Wei Ren, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252000, Shandong Province, China
    Bingjian Huang, Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, China
    Xiyan Kou, Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, China
    Lin Wei, Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, China
    Adnan Khan, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 511464, China, Shenzhen, China
    Liangliang Li, Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, China
    Changfa Wang, Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.