Characterization and comparison of phospholipid fatty acids and molecular species in different animal milk

Phospholipids are increasingly recognized as nutrients with potential health benefits, but comparative studies on the composition of phospholipids in different animal milk have not been thorough. In this study, phospholipid composition of four types of animal milks from cow, goat, donkey, and yak was measured, and 33 fatty acids and 74 molecular species of phospholipids were found. Among the four types of animal milks, C16:0, C18:0, and C18:1 were the major fatty acids of phospholipids, and the fatty acids were mainly saturated fatty acids. Additionally, the molecular species of phospholipids in various animal milk differed, and 18:0/18:2 was the most abundant molecular species. Furthermore, significantly different phospholipid molecular species of each group were screened out. The results reported herein will contribute to understanding the differences in functional and nutritional properties of phospholipids from different animal milks which can enhance the utilization of various animal milk sources.