Differences of essential minerals and trace elements in cow and buffalo milk

Differences of essential minerals and trace elements in cow and buffalo milk F. Fantuz1, S. Ferraro2, L. Todini1, A. Fatica3 and E. Salimei3 1Università di Camerino, Scuola di Bioscienze e Medicina Veterinaria, via Gentile da Varano, 62032 Camerino, Italy, 2Università di Camerino, Scuola di Scienze e Tecnologie (sezione Chimica), via Gentile da Varano, 62032 Camerino, Italy, 3Università del Molise, Dip. Agricoltura, Ambiente, Alimenti, via De Sanctis, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; salimei@unimol.it Although most of the global milk production is accounted for by cow milk (83%), buffalo milk is the second largest type of milk produced worldwide accounting for 13% of global milk production, but only few information is available on the mineral fraction in buffalo milk. Aim of this trial was to study the Ca, P, K, Na, Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Co, Se, and Mo concentrations in cow and buffalo milk raised in the same farm. Thirty lactating Italian Friesian cows and thirty lactating Mediterranean buffaloes were used to provide milk samples. Cows and buffaloes were machine milked twice a day and individual milk samples were collected during the afternoon milking. Experimental animals were group fed a total mixed ration and samples of feedstuffs were collected for analysis. Milk samples and feedstuffs were analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. Differences in milk elements concentration between the two species were determined by t-test. The concentration of minerals (% dry matter) and trace elements (mg/kg dry matter) in total mixed ration, respectively for cows and buffaloes, was Ca 0.78 vs 0.88; P 0.29 vs 0.24; K 1.47 vs 1.81; Na 0.29 vs 0.24; Mg 0.19 vs 0.18; Zn 143.1 vs 127.2; Fe 161.3 vs 149.8; Cu 19.3 vs 17.6; Mn 75.6 vs 67.1; Co 0.43 vs 0.41; Se 0.38 vs 0.35; Mo 3.60 vs 5.53. Significantly higher concentration (mg/l for minerals; μg/l for trace elements) was observed in buffalo milk for Ca (1,598 vs 1,153), P (1,340 vs 975), Mg (154.6 vs 104.0), Zn (4,978 vs 3,435), Fe (321.9 vs 212.7) and Cu (109.8 vs 56.7). On the contrary, significantly higher concentration was observed in cow milk for K (1,461 vs 1,021), Na (391.7 vs 333.0) and Mo (73.8 vs 49.9). The milk Ca/P ratio (1.18 cow vs 1.21 buffalo milk), Na/K ratio (0.29 cow vs 0.35 buffalo) and the milk Mn (25.8 cow vs 30.1 buffalo), Se (25.4 cow vs 26.9 buffalo) and Co (0.78 cow vs 0.94 buffalo) concentration were not significantly different between the two species.