Comparative analysis of the antioxidant capacity of milk from different breeds of cow in Nigeria

Abstract

Milk is an essential component of human and animal diets, and cattle are a major source of milk for human consumption. Environmental, nutritional, genetic, and physiological factors can affect animal milk composition. This study was aimed at evaluating the antioxidant properties of milk samples from four cattle breeds, namely: White Fulani (WF), Sokoto Gudali (SG), Red Bororo (RB), and the exotic Holstein Friesian (HF) in Sokoto, Nigeria. Fatty acid, amino acid profile, antioxidant vitamins, antioxidant minerals, and antioxidant enzymes activities of the samples were assessed using standard methods. The results of the analysis indicated that milk of SG had the highest values for moisture (85.57%), Vit C (79.24mg/dl), DPPH scavenging activity (80.04%), and FRAP (1083.33mgTE/100g of FW). Milk of RB had the highest ash (4.52%), protein (3.63%), copper (0.19 ppm), zinc (0.16 ppm), iron (3.47 ppm), and antioxidant amino acid composition. The milk of HF had the highest lipid (5.89%), oleic acid (1.17 mg/ml), total polyphenol content (TPC) (0.26 mgTE/100g of FW) and selenium (103.10 ppm) levels. WF had the highest carbohydrate (15.07%), palmitic acid (98.39 mg/ml), stearic acid (35.46 mg/ml), Vit A (55.38 mg/dl), Vit E (52.18 mg/dl) content, catalase (0.02 U/L) and superoxide dismutase (3.00 U/mL) activities. These results show that milk from the WF has better antioxidants and therefore antioxidant capacities than the other breeds. Overall, the study indicates that cow milk is a good source of antioxidants, whose levels vary between the different breeds of cattle. These nutritional differences can be explored during milk sourcing based on nutritional requirements.