Work

Characterization of Milk Fat Globule Membrane Phospholipids in Colostrum of Holstein cows, Yaks and Buffaloes as Well as in Yak Colostrum and Mature Milk

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) phospholipids could promote the development of infants’ brain, nervous system and digestive system. This research conducted a comparative analysis of phospholipid composition in MFGM of colostrum from different bovine species (Holstein cattle, yak, and Buffalo), with a particular focus on analyzing phospholipid variations in yak MFGM across different lactation stages. Chromatographic quantification revealed phosphatidylcholine (PC) as the predominant phospholipid class (34.7–47.44%) in all examined species. Notably, Holstein cow milk contains significantly higher levels of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). Distinct phospholipid profiles emerged between species: yak milk demonstrated significantly higher concentrations of sphingomyelin (SM), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine (dMePE), and bis-methylphosphatidic acid (BisMePA), whereas buffalo milk showed preferential accumulation of phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). Longitudinal analysis revealed dynamic changes in yak milk phospholipids during lactation: as the lactation period in-creases, PC, PS, LPC, LPE, methylphosphatidylcholine (MePC), BisMePA, and dMePE exhibited progressive decline, while PE, SM, PI and PG showed incremental increases. Analysis of phospholipid metabolism pathways indicates that yak colostrum supports early calf development by enriching phospholipids associated with immune and neuroprotection, while mature milk shifts toward maintaining membrane stability. These compositional characteristics position yak milk as a promising phospholipid-fortified alternative to human breast milk.

Source: Foods

DOI: 10.3390/foods15020317