Characterization and nutrition assessment of amino acids in different domains between donkey colostrum and mature milk

Amino acids serve as the fundamental building blocks of proteins which play crucial roles in various biological processes. However, there is a relative scarcity of comprehensive analysis regarding the variation of amino acids in donkey milk during different lactation periods and within different domains. Hence, we thoroughly examine the composition of both free and insoluble-proteome amino acids in donkey colostrum (DC) and donkey mature milk (DM). Our investigation includes an assessment of their nutritional significance, flavor analysis, metabolic pathways, and interactions across various lactation stages . Through nutritional assessment , we found that DC and DM exhibit excellent nutritional value . Both kinds of milk possess a delightful taste profile, with the majority of flavors concentrated in the realm of “savory umami” and “sweet-savory”. The most significant pathway of differentially expressed amino acids for both free and insoluble-proteome amino acids groups was “valine, leucine , and isoleucine biosynthesis”. These findings deepen our comprehension of the varying amino acid compositions within donkey milk across different lactation stages, paving the way for future research directions in developing functional foods utilizing donkey milk as a source.