Yahya M. Waly*, Yousef M. Waly
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland –Bahrain
*Correspondence Email Address: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Background: Milk is a complex chemical substance and a heterogeneous mixture. In addition to that, due to the fatty acid composition, dairy fat is one of the most complex natural fats. Cow, Sheep, Camel and Goat animal milk products are commonly consumed within the Middle East. While all have proven to aid in overall health and growth, the natural fat composition is thought to vary between each animal type. Hence the natural fat constituents of different animal milks had been assessed and compared. Objectives: This study is aimed at exploring how fatty acid contents differentiate in milk with different sources. In hopes of later exploring how the fatty acid composition variation in different types of animal milks contribute to health benefits. Methods: Fat separation and derivatization were performed for all milk samples. The PerkinElmer chromatograph was used with a flame-ionization detector and auto-sampler to analyze fatty acid methyl esters. Results: The composition of fatty acids, measured via Area Percent (%), varied greatly between goat, cow and sheep milk. Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid and Myristic acid were seen to portray the greatest composition and variation within these animal milks. However, Camel milk portrayed a completely different fatty acid composition pattern, where most were not found within other animal milks. Conclusion: Using retention time from the gas chromatograph, specific types of fatty acids in the cow, sheep and goat milk found that the three most abundant methyl esters in the sample were: Oleic acid, Palmitic acid, and Myristic acid – all of which varied in abundance. In retrospect, camel milk portrayed a vastly different fatty acid composition. The fatty acids that make up camel milk were not found in any other animal milk types. References
Keywords: Derivatization of Fatty acids, Prominent Animal Milks, Health Benefits
Citation: Yahya M. Waly, Yousef M. Waly. Fatty Acid Methyl Ester Composition of Prominent Animal Milks Consumed within the Middle East: A Comparative Analysis. Canadian Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2023; 11 (2): 57-66.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.14206/canad.j.clin.nutr.2023.02.05