Determination of Whey Proteins Profile in Balkan Donkey’s Milk during Lactation Period

The aim of the present study was to investigate the whey proteins profile of raw donkey’s milk from an autochthonous Domestic Balkan donkey breed during the lactation period from 45 to 200 days. The following parameters were determined: whey proteins, alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, lysozyme and lactoferrin. A technique use for determination of the protein profile is chip-based separations on the Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer. The content of alpha-lactalbumin (2740 1300 mg/L), beta-lactoglobuline (260 139 mg/L) and lysozyme (2970 1670 mg/L) had a tendency to stabilize during mid-lactation period (100th 150th day), after that it tended to decrease, in a straight line to the end of lactation. The immunoglobulin had an increasing trend, which was best manifested on 100th day (88 mg/L), but thereafter they showed decreasing trend (26 mg/L). The content of whey protein and lactoferrin decreased quite linearly (84 6mg/L), with the lactation progressed (80th 125th day). The content of serum albumin (238 113 mg/L) showed a stabilizing trend observed in the middle period of lactation. Based on results obtained in our study, more in-depth information on lactation and milk characteristics in donkeys are provided.